The Great Repression
by kjwrit
Summary: The Great Reveal didn't go as hoped and now vampires have become the prey as religious zealots and militant factions of the government try to carry out a mass genocide. Their only hope for survival lies with a telepathic barmaid. AU/OOC
1. Chapter One

**A/N: I originally started posting this on my wordpress site last week or so, but I feel like I'm back in the swing of things so I'll start posting over here too. The only difference is I can load Skarsporn to go with them over there. I'm going to load all seven chapters that I have done so far tonight and then update regularly from here on out on both sites. I hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. My mind just likes to play the 'what-if' game with her characters.**

Chapter One

**SPOV**

I'll never forget the day life – as we humans knew it to be – would change forever.

Vampires were real.

It seemed too surreal and yet there they were announcing their existence thanks to a new synthetic blood on the market. It fulfilled all of their nutritional needs. We didn't need to fear them. They wanted to co-exist peacefully. The whole virus explanation saying they were allergic to silver and sunlight didn't make too much sense to me, but – really – who was I to judge?

After all, I was a telepath, so I could hardly throw stones at what should be considered normal. For all I knew my curse was the result of some virus too, but that was neither here nor there.

Bon Temps was such a small town that it took close to two years before we'd finally gotten our first vampire. I knew right away what he was thanks to the glow that seemed to surround him, but even bigger than the shock of seeing my first vampire in person was the fact I couldn't read his thoughts. His mind was nothing but silent to me. No one else seemed to notice at first that there was a vampire in their midst except for Sam. And when he took a seat in my section Sam offered to wait on him instead, but I shook him off. I was excited and hoped my anticipation at meeting him wouldn't come across as me being an overeager fan girl just due to the fact he was a vampire. It was more my fascination that his thoughts were silent that held my attention and I approached him with a smile, saying, "Welcome to Merlotte's. I'm Sookie and I'll be your waitress. What can I get for you this evening?"

As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized we didn't have any True Blood in stock. Sam had gotten a few cases when vampires first came out, but it had gone bad and he never reordered any since we hadn't had any vampire customers.

His dark eyes stared up at me and I thought perhaps he'd sniffed the air before he said, "I'll have a True Blood."

His request had gotten the attention of the Rattrays who were in the next booth over, but I ignored them as best as I could while apologizing, "I'm sorry. We haven't had any vampire customers since you all came out, so Sam never reordered any more after our first supply went bad."

He seemed to mentally chew on that for a minute, so I took the time to take in his appearance. His sideburns were from a different era, but overall he was a handsome man. Of course I knew all too well that a nice looking package could hide a very ugly center, so looks didn't hold much sway with me. Not that it really mattered since my curse made it so that touching anyone only amplified their thoughts, so what little shields I was able to maintain were completely obliterated by skin on skin contact. Which was why I was still a virgin at the ripe old age of twenty-five.

_Well…that and the fact the whole town thought of me as Crazy Sookie thanks to the crazy smile I sometimes plastered to my face whenever I was trying to hide the fact I'd read their not always kind and sometimes X-rated thoughts._

After a moment, his lips formed into a tight smile as he said, "Well then, I'll have a glass of red wine."

I thought his request was odd since I didn't think he'd be able to actually drink it, but I didn't know enough about vampires to be sure. And I felt a little bit of sympathy towards him wondering if he'd only ordered it so that he could stay, perhaps feeling a bit lonely. I knew all too well how it felt to be an outsider and my ponytail bobbed as I nodded with a smile saying, "I'll get that right out for you."

I returned to the bar and put his order in with Sam – who didn't look all that pleased about our newest customer, but I forced myself to not listen to whatever it was he was thinking. I knew from experience what a bad idea it was to listen in to my boss's thoughts – having had to leave jobs before because of them – and I liked working for Sam, so I stayed out of his. While he poured the wine I noticed our vampire customer was no longer alone seeing the Rattrays had slid into his booth. They weren't the kindest folks in town, either with their thoughts or their spoken words, and I had to hide my gall as I walked back to his table with the glass of wine on my tray, seeing Denise Rattray noticeably putting her neck – among other things – on display. The fact that Mack Rattray showed no outward signs of annoyance over her actions – combined with my own irritation over it all – made my shields slip and I nearly dropped my tray when their thoughts filtered into my head.

_They were going to drain him._

I felt my Crazy Sookie smile firmly attach itself to my face as I set his glass down, saying, "Here you go." I wanted to warn him about his newfound companions, but I was at a loss as to how and instead I tried to convey with my eyes that he should watch out.

"Thank you Sookie," he smiled back at me, but seeing my bizarre expression, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Don't mind her none," Mack Rattray spoke up as he leered back at me. "Crazy Sookie is harmless."

Catching glimpses of what he'd like to do to me proved he wasn't so harmless and I felt my smile tighten, only reinforcing his claim.

Lafayette called out a second later, so I returned to the window to pick up an order for one of my other tables and for several minutes I was busy running back and forth taking care of my other customers. My brother Jason and his best friend Hoyt came in – distracting me for a little while – and as soon as I had their pitcher of beer delivered and their order in, I turned to check on the vampire's table. But it was empty save the five dollar bill next to his untouched glass of red wine.

Panic swept through me and without thinking I ran outside hoping to catch them in the parking lot not knowing what I was going to say, but knowing I had to say _something_. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if something were to happen to him when I could've stopped it. And as I wandered the gravel lot, I noticed the Rattray's car was still there, but I didn't see hide nor hair of them. As I got closer I could both see and hear from Denise's thoughts that they were just inside the wood line.

_And she was draining the vampire._

I crept back as silent as a mouse and got the thick length of chain Jason always carried in the back of his truck before looping back around to where I knew them to be. It all happened so fast, but I managed to fight off Mack as he lunged at me with a knife, with the chain wrapping itself tightly around his neck. When all was said and done, with his dropped knife now in my hand, I ran off Denise as well without any of the blood she'd managed to collect.

_How's that for 'harmless' Crazy Sookie?_

The vampire was being held down by a thin chain of silver, but hearing the revving engine of the Rattray's car made me realize we weren't out of the woods yet. I grabbed him underneath his arms and said, "Push off with your feet," as I struggled to pull him back into the safety of the trees. It had been a close call, with Denise swerving towards us, but thankfully we were too far back and they continued on their way.

After removing the long silver chain from his body, I wrapped it around my neck and wrists, thinking it seemed awful light to have kept him pinned, but I apologized nonetheless hearing him hiss as bits of his skin came off with the chain. Just because I'd saved him didn't mean I necessarily trusted him not to hurt me and his mocking questions over that very thing only irritated me, as did his nasty comments about other places on my body where he could bite me. It made him less attractive to me, so I didn't feel nearly as bad as I should have when I openly laughed learning his name was something so common – Bill.

_That seemed almost as ridiculous as if he'd been named Bubba._

He annoyed me further by offering me the blood Denise had already drained from him as some sort of macabre payment for saving his life. I didn't know anything about vampires, but from a human standpoint, I was affronted that he assumed I would expect anything more than a thank you. Gran had raised me right and I would've done nothing less had he been human or even an animal. All I wanted was to go back inside before I ended up saying something I would regret – and possibly anger him since he hadn't appeared too pleased when I laughed at his name. But he stayed my feet when I learned his last name was Compton and coincidentally my new neighbor. Technically he'd been my neighbor for my whole life thanks to what I now knew to be his empty grave in the Sweet Home Cemetery that separated our land. I knew Gran would be tickled knowing someone so fascinating would be living next door, so when he asked if he could return the next night to speak with me, I saw no reason to say no. I knew as soon as I told Gran, she'd have a list of questions for me to ask him thanks to her being in the Descendants of the Glorious Dead and figured she'd try to get him to speak to her club about his experiences. I was admittedly still fascinated with him myself, but only because I couldn't hear his thoughts. He hadn't made a good first impression on me with his lewd remarks, but I was willing to give him a second chance and figured it couldn't hurt to at least try and get to know him better. Seeing as how he'd just been in danger of being drained, I didn't feel it would be fair of me to hold his less than gentlemanly comments against him – for now.

Well, that had been the plan anyway until Gran had fallen down the stairs the next morning. Her hip had been fractured and I practically lived at the hospital with her for those first few days until she finally shooed me away, using Tina to guilt me into returning home. It was no secret how difficult it had been for me to be surrounded by so much pain because with my own anguish, my shields were all but gone. So it wasn't until I was pulling into our driveway that I recalled my new neighbor now seeing the lights on across the field. It had been dark for over an hour by then, so I assumed he was up and feeling bad for standing him up a few nights earlier, I made my way across the cemetery to explain.

When I got closer to his house I noticed there were two cars in his driveway and I almost turned back thinking he had company, but the movement through the window caught my eye and froze me where I stood.

Bill was standing there with a man – a human man – and they both had a wild look in their eyes. I crept closer, willing my footsteps to be as quiet as possible, and saw there were three other vampires, two men and a woman, in the room. And thanks to her thoughts, I knew there was another human woman as well who seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place her. She'd seen better days and quite frankly could use a bath, but I couldn't concentrate on anything other than their thoughts thanks to my nonexistent shields. I could only hear little bits and pieces of what the vampires were saying from the scattered thoughts between the two humans, but from what I could tell, it was nothing too nice. There was some sort of sexual energy going through their thoughts as well, but seeing how roughly they were being treated only repulsed me.

I watched the bald vampire with tattoos shove the human woman's head down into his lap and even though I could _hear_ that she didn't mind, for a moment I almost screamed for him to stop, thinking he was hurting her when she…she…

_Eewww…in front of everybody?_

I'd seen plenty of thoughts over the years to know not everybody was as proper as they made themselves out to be. But seeing it in person was something else altogether, so I forced myself to look away from them to the other side of the room. Even Bill, who had at least appeared to be mostly a southern gentleman, was showing a different side to himself. A side I wouldn't have guessed existed within him and I held my breath watching the female vampire come to stand behind him, shoving her hand down the front of his pants and – from the looks of it – stroking whatever she'd found in there. All of them had their fangs down and I swallowed the gasp that threatened to leave me just as I heard the male human think he had the Sino Virus when Bill finally bit into his neck.

I wanted to run away. I really did, but I was stuck because my muscles refused to move, so I was trapped as an unintentional Peeping Tom watching the ensuing orgy. It was more than rough – it was violent – with teeth, blood, and body parts coming together at sometimes inhuman speeds. The humans were powerless against the vampires' whims – not that they weren't getting some enjoyment from it too – and it wasn't until I saw Bill's head turn towards the window – searching for what I didn't know, but hoping all the while he hadn't seen me – when my muscles were finally released with my fight or flight instincts kicking in.

_Knowing I couldn't fight them, I fled._

I ran home as fast as my feet could carry me and locked the door behind me. It took several minutes for my racing heart to calm down, along with my panting chest, before I was able to climb the stairs. Stripping off my clothes along the way, I got into the shower, washing not just the hospital from my skin, but trying to wash away the ugliness I'd just witnessed. If that was what it would be to have a vampire lover, then I wanted no part of it. There was nothing loving or romantic about anything I'd just witnessed and my skin was red from head to toe when the water finally ran cold, forcing me to get out. I'd only just gotten into my pajamas when another gasp made its way up – and this time out – hearing a knock on the front door.

Jason would've used his key and seeing how late it was, I knew it could only be one person. Reaching out with my mind, I shuddered inside feeling the silent void standing on my front porch, but knowing he couldn't enter the house without an invitation was the only thing that kept me from avoiding him altogether.

"Bill," I nodded as I opened the front door and made sure I was out of his arm's reach.

Standing in front of me, he appeared to once again be the perfect southern gentleman, with his kind smile, soft eyes, and lazy drawl as he nodded, "Sookie. I saw your lights were on and came to check on you. I haven't seen you at work these last few nights."

_Oh, well I saw plenty of you tonight. More than I wanted to actually._

"Oh," I swallowed nervously. "My Gran had a fall, so I've been spending time with her at the hospital."

"Oh," he repeated with a look of concern. Had I not witnessed the other looks I'd seen him make just a short while ago, I might have believed it was genuine. "I hope that she is well?"

I didn't miss the way his eyes darted behind me, making me wonder if he was waiting on me to invite him in. If that was the case, he'd be waiting for a very long time, so I did my best to force a smile onto my face, answering, "She's as well as can be expected. I hope to have her home real soon." I was a mess of nerves inside and didn't want to stand there making falsely polite small talk when the man literally made my skin crawl. So I let my exhaustion shine through, saying, "I'm sorry Bill, but it's very late and I need to get my rest so I can be back at the hospital bright and early."

When my eyes met his again, I could feel a slight pressure in my head as he said in a low hypnotic voice, "Don't you want to invite me in?"

I recalled hearing the thoughts of one of Jason's co-workers, Rene, that vampires could hypnotize people with their eyes. At the time I hadn't thought it was anything more than paranoia on his part, but now I had to wonder. Whatever he was doing wasn't working on me though, but I quickly averted my eyes anyway and said, "No Bill, I don't. I apologize for being so abrupt, but I really am tired."

I took another step backwards into the house just in case he could somehow reach in, but he remained where he was, saying apologetically, "Of course, some other time perhaps."

_Perhaps…maybe when I can shoot fireballs out of my hands…_

Instead I ignored his request and only muttered, "Goodnight Bill," before I shut the door.

Gran came home a few days later and even though it was mostly true, I used her as an excuse to Sam as to why I couldn't work the evening shift for the foreseeable future. Maxine Fortenberry stayed with Gran during the day, while I did everything I could to not be out after dark. I was afraid of running into Bill, but that didn't stop him from trying to visit me at home. Gran's convalescence came in handy then too because she wasn't well enough to receive visitors and as far as Bill was concerned, I didn't have a moment to spare to visit with him at all.

Bill however was the talk of the town. I kept mum on the topic of vampires, which was pretty easy since no one ever asked me for my opinion anyway, but I could tell from what was said – and not said – that most folks were on the fence. There had been an initial uproar when they first came out, but that had died down just as quickly and now that Bon Temps had an actual vampire resident, most of the town's folk weren't sure what to think. However some – Rene Lanier and Arlene Fowler – were very clear on how they felt and it was hateful enough for me to stay out of their heads at all costs.

_Vampires were an abomination and should be ended._

I was too afraid to say anything to Jason or Sam about Bill's nearly nightly visits. He never stayed longer than for me to tell him I was busy, but he didn't seem to be getting the hint either. Sam was always a bit territorial where I was concerned and I knew he liked me, but that just wasn't going to happen. I liked working for him and while I liked sneaking a peek at him every now and again when he was lifting cases of beer, there would never be anything between us but friendship. And Jason wasn't the best brother in the world, but he was mine and I knew if I said something about Bill he'd go over there half-cocked and looking for a fight he'd have no chance of winning. I didn't want to see either one of them get hurt on my account, so I said nothing.

Over the next couple of weeks I noticed a change in Bill. His skin was taking on a greyish hue and he seemed to move slower, with his stiff movements making me wonder if he'd indeed caught the Sino Virus from the human man who'd been at his house the night I'd gone over there. I might have felt bad for him if I hadn't felt that strange pressure in my head whenever he would try and suggest I let him in. But thankfully his little trick didn't work on me and after a few times he even seemed a little disappointed that I was always the one to answer the door. I suspected he wanted to try out his little mind trick on Gran which was another reason why I didn't want to leave her alone after dark.

_Bill wanted something – from me I suspected – and I was afraid to find out what._

It had been close to a month since the first time I'd laid eyes on Bill Compton when our washing machine had gone on the fritz. Terry had come by to look at it and told me where I could pick up the part we needed in Shreveport so he could fix it and I waited until my next day off so I could go during the daytime. I got there just fine, but I'd gotten lost on the unfamiliar streets of Shreveport on my way back and by the time I was on the highway the sun had already fallen from the sky. My worry centered on Gran being all alone where Bill could get to her because even though she still wasn't moving around all that well yet, I knew she'd answer the door if he kept on knocking. Maxine would have left by then, so I drove as fast as my car would go – which wasn't above 50mph if I didn't want the entire car to rattle apart – so I was especially frustrated when it decided to die halfway home. I didn't have a cell phone and was miles from the nearest town, so I got out and lifted the hood, hoping there'd be some magical neon flashing arrow pointing at what was wrong along with the instructions on how to fix it.

_No such luck. If only I had a fairy godmother._

I was just about to lower the hood, having resigned myself to the fact I'd have to walk to the nearest town to call Jason and hope that he wasn't already three sheets to the wind, when a car traveling southbound did a U-turn and pulled up behind my car on the shoulder of the road. But the relief I felt was short lived when my mind reached out to my would-be savior and was met with not one, but three voids I now knew to be vampire minds.

_And a split second later I recognized the car from when I'd seen it the first and only time weeks earlier._

_In Bill's driveway._

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter Two

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine.**

Chapter Two

**EPOV**

"Rumor has it Bill Compton has set up shop in a little backwoods bayou north of here called Bon Temps."

I looked up from my desk to see my child standing there with her hand on her hip, managing to look both bored and contemptuous at the same time. I tried to remember if she first rose as vampire that way since it certainly had been her preferred stance since then, but couldn't recall. And searching for the missing sixty thousand dollars in the pile of bank statements and receipts on my desk wasn't nearly as amusing as she, so I gladly ignored them. Kicking my feet up onto my desktop and tenting my fingers, I drolly offered, "You don't say."

Bill Compton was a useless vampire born of an even more useless vampire. I never understood what made Sophie-Anne choose him to be a member of her court, but I truly hadn't given it much thought since the farther away from court I was, the better I felt.

"I _do_ say. Apparently he's returned to the hovel of his former human home and has rested there for a couple of weeks now. I was told by one of the bloodbags in their pitiful attempt to…_befriend me_," she said with her face scrunched up. She attempted to regain her bored affect by adding, "As though knowing _Vampire Bill_," she mocked with a fake southern drawl, "would make them any more palatable to _me_." But even with her genuine distaste, I could feel through our tie something akin to a taunting anticipation. She knew all too well I didn't look kindly on many, much less a vampire who failed to report to me in a timely manner.

_And she'd been a good girl lately, so I saw no reason to disappoint her._

My eyes narrowed and I let loose with a growl rumbling through my chest – with a more genuine feeling behind it than I'd planned – as I stood from my desk, saying, "Watch over the bar. Perhaps when I return, you'll have a new _toy_ to play with."

"202 Hummingbird Road," she called out after me no longer trying to hide her glee.

We rarely had a vampire to _play with_ these days with everyone watching their step – as it were – in the days since the Great Revelation. Humans were so…_breakable_, so I could understand her excitement. However feeling her enjoyment only lasted until I was in my car and then I let the true anger I felt over his disregard for protocol – and therefore his disregard for _me_ as the area sheriff – simmer hotly with my mind playing over the unknown variables. It wasn't our monarch's duty to inform me a member of her court would be staying in my area, but anything more than a few nights' long visit would've normally warranted a phone call at the very least. The fact he'd apparently been in my area for several weeks, while I'd received no word whatsoever from either of them, struck me as off. But I had no idea what they could be up to. His position as her procurer was the obvious trail for my mind to set out on, but there was nothing to lead me from that point. There'd been reports of a possible maenad sighting roughly in that area, but that wouldn't concern our queen. And there was nothing in my area that I knew of that she could want, but whatever it was she could have just come to me.

_That_ really was my only clue.

Unless Compton was acting on his own – something I doubted since he was so firmly under Sophie Anne's thumb he should be covered in a high gloss red to match the rest of her fingernails – whatever it was, she didn't want me to know about it. That thought only served to make me even angrier and more than a little curious as to what it could be. I'd been nothing but her loyal sheriff and the fact she couldn't trust me with whatever it was she had him doing galled me. But the only bright side was knowing I'd rather deal with the queen's fuckery than what was going on in Area 9. One of Stan Davis' nestmates was missing and assumed kidnapped by the religious zealots led by the Reverend Steve Newlin under the guise of heading a _church_ – The Fellowship of the Sun.

_Why not just call it Auschwitz for vampire? Same thing…_

I was still seething halfway up the interstate when my superior vision caught sight of three of my more problematic vampire pulled over on the side of the road behind another piece of shit car that had its hood up. A human woman was surrounded by the three of them and just because I was already in a shitty mood, I decided on a whim to spread the cheer and pulled up behind them all before exiting my car.

"Is there a problem?" I calmly asked, with my eyes taking in the trembling blond in the center of the three unruliest vampire in my area.

"No sheriff," Malcolm replied. "We were just…lending the little lady a hand."

The fear on her face told me otherwise, but it wasn't something I would normally concern myself with. And yet I found myself to be concerned nonetheless. She was beautiful to be sure, but it was more than that.

_She was an innocent._

Unlike the trash that begged for our attention on a nightly basis at the bar, she wasn't anything like the typical fangbanger. Her modest clothes and fresh face – completely devoid of makeup – along with her prey-like ready-to-bolt stance told me she hadn't sought their attention, like so many of the desperate women I'd just left behind. Her unshed tears told me she didn't _want_ their attention, but the stubborn set of her jaw showed her courage nonetheless.

_I was impressed._

_She _would've been impressed if she'd known how very seldom that occurred.

I'd killed countless numbers in battle both in my human life and as vampire. Even now I doled out punishments that fit the crime no matter what the species was in front of me, but I'd never condoned violence against innocents. It was something we could no longer afford, especially now that we'd revealed ourselves to humans, but even before then there had been plenty of women who would've gladly gone off with the three of them. If I'd caught even the barest hint of her wanting to be in their presence, I would've let them be, but she looked as though if she could magically wish herself away, she would.

"I'll see to her welfare," I said with my tone brokering no argument.

_So, of course they argued._

Diane hissed in my direction while Liam and Malcolm turned to face me. Their fangs had already been dropped when I'd arrived, but now they were openly snarling at me, while Malcolm spat out accusingly, "Poaching, sheriff? We saw her first."

He looked weaker than when I'd last seen him a few weeks earlier. His skin was taking on a greyish hue, making me wonder if he'd been infected with the Sino virus. There would be karmic justice in that, but instead of showing my amusement over the thought, I took a step closer and dropped my own fangs as I said lowly, "I am your sheriff. Even if she reeked of your blood and cum, I could take her from you if I so desired." I made a show of inhaling deeply – finding myself surprised at her unusually sweet scent – and smiled, adding, "Thankfully, she is unsullied by your stench."

I could tell she didn't know whether or not to be relieved at my assertion, but she barely had the time to decide when she cried out in surprise as Malcolm grabbed her and pulled her body closer to his. Placing a long lick from her jawbone up into her hairline, he taunted, "How about now, _sheriff_?"

_Insolent fuck._

I was merely a blur – as was his arm when I ripped it from his own body and away from hers – and I only gave him enough time to realize his true death was seconds away before I tore his head from his shoulders. His blood sprayed out painting his shocked victim, but I placed my body in front of hers, while facing the remaining two, and calmly asked, "Did either of you have anything to add?"

The three of them combined were no match for me, so I wasn't concerned about the remaining two if they were to try and team up on me. Instead they both backed away, stuttering, "No…no sheriff," and moved slowly to their car before speeding off into the night.

I stared after them until they were out of sight, but made sure to turn around slowly, hearing the whispered frightened whimper behind me. Her bravado seemed to have left at the same time Malcolm lost his head and she kept her head down, with her eyes trained on her feet. The blood was still dripping from her body when I found myself softly asking, "Are you alright?"

She seemed to steel herself by straightening her back, but never looked up, as she asked, "Are…are you…" Instead of finishing her question, she then altered her course by only nodding and saying, "Thank you…for saving me."

I remained silent for a time, waiting for her eyes to look back at me so I could glamour the events from her memory. But when her gaze finally met my own – a slightly lighter shade of blue eyes than mine staring back at me – I was left somewhat awestruck. There was a warmth there – along with an understandable dose of remaining fear – that I couldn't recall ever having seen before. So rather than glamour her right away and lose out on the strange sensation it had evoked, I humored myself by asking, "What is your name?"

"Sookie," she half-whispered. "Sookie Stackhouse."

_Sookie. Yet another thing I had never come across in my millennia._

"Well Sookie Sookie Stackhouse, I am Eric Northman." My attempt at putting her at ease seemed to have worked, given the small smile playing on her lips, while she chuckled out, "Just Sookie." So I glanced over at her piece of shit car and said, "I assume you're having car trouble, but I'm afraid my skills are lacking in that regard." And looking at her car, I estimated it was likely an animal sacrifice and black magic would be the only way to bring that thing back to life, so I offered, "Shall I see you home? Or have you already called for a ride? I could wait with you until they arrive."

"Um…" she paused with her eyes not quite knowing where to look, between the vampire assassin in front of her and the vampire puddle at her feet. The scent of her fear was slowly diminishing and it wasn't as though she was unpleasant to look at, so I remained silent. Watching her until it became too much for her and she finally said, "I…uh…don't have a phone?" She'd ended her statement as though it was a question, but before I could offer her the use of my own, she added, "And…uh…you've already done…um…so much for me already?" Again, as a question, but she seemed to be on a roll now that the floodgates had opened and rambled on with, "I would hate to put you out. I live in a small town up north and I'm sure it's out of your way, but if you wouldn't mind maybe dropping me off at the nearest gas station I can call my brother to come pick me up? I mean, I was going to walk, you know…before, but…uh…that doesn't really seem like a good idea anymore after…you know…"

She glanced down at her blood stained clothes and was a fidgeting mess by the time she was through, but I found myself amused enough to say, "Well, I happen to be heading to a small town up north, so perhaps you could show me the way. Have you heard of Bon Temps?"

Her responding gasp gave her away and her eyes zeroed in on my face, looking for what I had no clue, but she eventually admitted, "That's where I live."

"All the better," I said, with my arm outstretched towards my car while wondering over the coincidence. "I'll see you home and then be on my way."

I could tell her internal dialogue was rambling just as fast as her mouth had been moments earlier, so I tried to appease her worries by saying, "Miss Stackhouse, if I had any intention of harming you, I would've done so already. And while time is no longer a concern for my kind, sunrise is. If you'd rather, you may use my phone to call your brother and I will wait with you until he arrives."

She mumbled something that sounded like, "Probably drunk as a skunk by now," but said clearly, "Are you sure it's no bother?"

"I am sure."

I started walking back towards my car, but I could tell from the silence behind me she wasn't following, so I turned just as she said, "Um…your car. It's really nice, but I uh…I'm covered in…um…yeah, so I'm afraid of ruining your upholstery."

I couldn't hide the surprise from my face over the fact she'd just faced three vampire, intent on doing things to her she couldn't imagine in her very worst nightmares, only to see one ended by another vampire she'd never met. And yet she was concerned about my leather seats getting blood on them?

_Mindboggling…and I felt disappointed as well knowing I'd have to glamour her. More so because then she would have no recollection of me._

She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but it was mostly just her upper half that was drenched in Malcolm's blood. I didn't really care about getting blood on my seats, but I couldn't help but be fascinated by her. I was used to women fawning at my feet, begging for any amount of attention I might give them – a byproduct of having spent so much time on my throne at the bar I supposed – and yet the little blond in front of me hadn't shown the slightest interest except for her polite gratitude. She had mentioned calling her brother, not a husband or boyfriend, so I didn't think she was attached to another male. So I performed my own narcissistic experiment, that would have Pam rolling her eyes, by removing my own t-shirt at vampire speed and leaving myself bare from the waist up. Holding it out for her, I said, "You can change into this."

My chest inflated right along with my ego seeing the fleeting look of lust in her eyes, but she blushed just as quickly before averting them and stuttering, "Oh…um…that's um…you don't have to…uh…I uh…the blood will just seep through and then we'll…uh…both have ruined shirts?"

"Not if you remove yours first," I smiled.

My grin only widened seeing her indignant eyes dart right back to my amused ones as she said, "I'm grateful for your help, but I'm a lady and won't tolerate that kind of…of…_suggestion_."

_Yes, it will be a shame to glamour her._

The thought of seeing her in my shirt overrode any annoyance I might have felt otherwise. Not only did I want to see her draped in my clothes, but for some inexplicable reason I wanted to cover her in my scent, after having witnessed Malcolm defile her with his own. Considering she was covered in his blood it was a moot point, but the pretense alone would ease my need to track down Diane and Liam and torture them until dawn for even thinking of harming someone as pure as she. So I smiled once more and turned away from her saying, "I promise I won't look. Unless of course, you'd like me to?"

My head turned back just in time to see her eyes widen like saucers as she took in the broad expanse of my bare back, but she quickly rearranged her expression into annoyance as she replied, "Are you sure your name is Eric and not Tom? Quit peeping and turn back around Mr. Looky Loo."

She emphasized her words by pointing her finger at me and twirling it in the air, indicating I should turn around, but even as I did as she bade I couldn't hold back the barking laughter that escaped my throat at her antics. Nor could I hold back from saying, "You're the one ogling me from behind. Or, perhaps, it is my behind you're ogling?"

I wiggled my hips suggestively and she swallowed hard enough for me to hear it, only making my ego – among other things – inflate even more. But she let out an outraged huff, as I heard her peel the shirt from her body and quickly cover it with my own. Her stomping steps rang out loud a moment later as she plodded to her car, with me following along behind her. She took out a plastic shopping bag and her purse before turning to face me once more – not letting her eyes stray anywhere from my own – and saying as nicely as she could muster, "I'm ready whenever you are."

Yes, seeing her in my shirt was doing all sorts of things for my ego and my dick, but I doubted she was _ready_ for the things I wanted to do to her. So in keeping with the gentlemanly theme I seemed to have adopted in her presence, I led her to my car and opened the door. Once she was seated, I shut it behind her and moved at a human pace to the other side, while trying to will my hard-on away. It was another moot point because now that she was trapped within the small confines of my corvette, her scent was concentrated to the point of making my fangs strain just as hard as my dick. All of me wanted inside of her. I had hoped to pass the drive in silence, now feeling like a newborn vampire struggling to control my urges, but she ruined that by asking, "Are you friends with Bill Compton?"

Her question brought to mind Pam's earlier rant on _Vampire Bill_ and I wondered if perhaps I'd misjudged her earlier hesitance to be around vampire. I'd attributed her growing ease around me because I had saved her, but Bill Compton wasn't the mainstreaming type. However she hadn't smelled of him – or any vampire – so I ignored her question in favor of asking one of my own. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, he's the only vampire in Bon Temps, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out who you'd be visiting."

Astute.

_And I really didn't want to glamour her._

I also didn't want to give her my reasons for going to Bon Temps, so I deflected by saying, "Who says I'm going to visit a vampire?"

I saw her shrug out of my peripheral vision and her head turned towards me, with her eyes concentrated on my profile. A light bulb seemed to pop over her head just as she simultaneously blushed and said, "Oh! I thought you loo…uh…I mean…so you're going to see Dawn."

Dawn? I knew of no vampire named Dawn in the area and asked, "Dawn who? I thought you said Bill was the only vampire in town."

"Dawn Green. She's a human and works with me at Merlotte's where we're waitresses. She…uh…told me she…um…had a vampire _friend_?"

The name Dawn Green meant nothing to me, but by the way she was carefully choosing her words made me suspect her co-worker had been one of my former…_meals_. For yet another inexplicable reason – knowing she was nothing like the women who frequented my club – I found myself not wanting her to be turned off by the fact I sometimes used them for blood and sex. So I deflected once more by admitting, "I'm going to see Bill." If anything, my admission only seemed to make her tense up even more, so I asked, "Are you acquaintances?"

"I…" She paused for a long moment before continuing, "I've met him before. He's my neighbor."

She didn't sound too pleased by that fact, prompting me to ask, "Do you not like him?"

It would only raise her even higher in my estimation of her, so I was amused when she hesitantly stuttered, "I…uh…I um…yeah, no. I don't like him. I'm sorry since he's your friend and all."

I laughed again, admitting, "Bill Compton is not my _friend_. He's an underling. I am sheriff of this area and I'm going to see why he hasn't bothered to check in with me, even though he's been in my area for several weeks."

"A month, at least," she nodded. But before I could become irate, learning he'd been in my area for a full month, she asked, "So you're like in charge of the vampires in this area? Is that why those other ones were afraid of you?"

"They're leery of me because I am their sheriff. They fear me because I am much older and therefore much stronger than they are," I explained while trying to get a rein on my anger not wanting to frighten her. But Compton would be paying the price later on for ruining my good mood.

Her surprising giggle did more for my mood than anything I could come up with and she chuckled, "Well, I'd ask how old you are, but I have a feeling that would be rude. So instead I'll ask, shouldn't you be wearing a uniform or a badge? You look more like a Chippendale's Sheriff at the moment."

"Why Miss Stackhouse," I chuckled, "If you wanted me to strip for you, you only had to ask." I ended with a smirk and all traces of the anger I'd felt moments earlier had all but disappeared.

"Oh you," she blushed and actually smacked my leg. "Rude it is then. How old are you?"

I was questioning more and more my need to leave her unglamoured, but I set that aside and answered, "I am roughly a thousand years old."

"Wow," she gasped and then smiled. "So, I guess you can kick Bill's butt pretty easily since he's not even two hundred, huh?"

I felt my eyebrow rise up as I asked, "If you aren't _friends_ with Compton, then how is it you know his age?"

She snickered again, replying, "Well his headstone is in the cemetery that separates our houses. Again, it doesn't take a genius to do the math."

She was in danger of becoming an obsession for me. Or perhaps I was the one in danger, but I couldn't be bothered to care at the moment and said, "You seem to have no issue with me – other than ogling me from behind – so I would hazard a guess that your issue with Compton has nothing to do with him being vampire. What has he done to earn your distaste?"

She remained silently thoughtful for a few minutes and gestured to the exit ramp for Bon Temps, only saying enough to give me directions to her house. The driveway had seen better days, as had the old farmhouse, but it was maintained as well as could be expected, considering she likely didn't make much at her job as a waitress. I pulled up in the front of the house, regretting the inevitability of having to glamour her, so I put it off a final time by asking, "Well Miss Stackhouse?"

"He…" she began and then stopped. Her eyes searched mine before she took a deep breath and continued, "He creeps me out. He came into Merlotte's about a month ago, where I waited on him, and ended up leaving with the Rattray's who…aren't good people. I was worried they might…try something, so I went out into the parking lot and found them next to the trees trying to drain him. I fought them off, but he was just…just…weird about it all? And rude. He asked if he could come by and see me again. Since my Gran is a Civil War history buff, I knew she'd get a kick out of meeting him, so that's the only reason I agreed. Only she ended up falling and breaking her hip the next morning, so I was at the hospital with her for the next few days. When I came home I decided to run over to his house real quick to explain where I'd been, but he…had company. Those same three vampires from earlier were at his house and after I saw what they were doing through the window, I hightailed it home. Bill stopped by a little while later and he obviously wanted me to invite him into the house, but I refused. And he's been coming around nearly every night since then. Is it true you all can hypnotize people? Because I think I can feel him trying and it doesn't work on me."

I closed my gaping mouth once I realized it was hanging open, finding myself even more fascinated by her. Not only did she put herself at risk by saving a strange vampire, she could feel his attempts to glamour her?

"What do you mean you could _feel_ him trying?" I asked without answering her question.

Never in my millennia had I heard of a human being able to withstand the effect of glamour. And no matter how inept of a vampire he was, _all_ vampire had the skill required to do it. Unlike other gifts such as flying, glamour came with fangs and no heartbeat. It was necessitated for survival, much like the instinct to take shelter from the sun.

"It feels like a pressure in my head," she answered innocently, like she wasn't a vampire marvel. Her eyes brightened a moment later as she offered, "You try it," but then narrowed suspiciously when she added, "but no funny business mister."

Unbidden laughter escaped my throat once more and I suddenly felt no remorse over glamouring her now that she was inviting me to do it. Locking my gaze with her own, my mind reeled with the endless possibilities. But instead of having her do anything she would likely slap me for if she had her wits about her, I pushed at her consciousness and asked, "Do you find me attractive?"

Given all of her blushing and stomping from earlier, I figured she'd never answer the question willingly had I posed it beforehand. But my own unease over her possible negative reply was eclipsed by surprise. Her focus never wavered as she snorted, "Well I have eyes, don't I?"

Flummoxed, I pushed harder, ordering, "Put your hands up."

My relief was short lived when she did so because she laughed again, saying, "Are we playing cops and robbers now? Or are you playing at being a Chippendale's Sheriff? Because I don't think I have any singles on me."

I couldn't do anything but stare at her completely dumbfounded. Nor did I realize she'd even exited the car until I saw her standing outside of the open door, saying, "Thank you again for saving me, for the ride home, for the shirt and for putting me at ease. I wish there was some way for me to repay the favor, but the least I can do is return your shirt. Where can I send it to you?"

I could think of plenty of ways for her to _repay_ me and they all began with her taking off my shirt. But instead I just smiled and said, "You can _bring_ it to me at my bar in Shreveport. Fangtasia."

I definitely wanted to see her again, but her lips screwed up to the side and her eyes crinkled as she said, "I'm sorry. I don't go out at night anymore thanks to your _underling_. If I hadn't gotten lost, I would've been home before sunset and before my car decided to die on me."

I felt my ire rise up once more over Compton, but only because he was bothering my new…_distraction_? If anything, I was grateful he was such an insubordinate ass because had I not been on my way to his home, I never would've met the curious young lady I now coveted.

"Compton will no longer be an issue," I nearly growled. But seeing her eyes widen at my unspoken threat, I added, "But, if you prefer, I could always stop by tomorrow evening to pick it up."

I gave not one single fuck about getting my shirt back, but I was more pleased than I cared to admit to when she smiled, saying, "Well then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow night. Goodnight Mr. Northman."

"Goodnight Miss Stackhouse."

While I watched her go inside I made a call to a local Were to have Sookie's car repaired and returned to her by morning. I was still smiling idiotically as I drove to the ramshackle house next door, but my smile only grew when Compton opened the door. He had the same sickly pallor as Malcolm and his initial shock at seeing me quickly turned to dread. Thanks to the good mood Sookie had left me in, I no longer felt the need to kill him and decided to let Pam have all the fun. But I would be getting my answers over what he wanted from her regardless of who wielded the whip. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off by striding in through the open door and saying jovially, "Bill! Let me guess…have you been dining with Malcolm recently?"

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter Three

**DISCLAIMER: Still not mine.**

Chapter Three

**SPOV**

I woke up a sweaty mess the next morning and it had nothing to do with the sunlight streaming through my bedroom window. Like I'd told Eric the night before – I had eyes. What I didn't tell him was he had a world class butt too, so my subconscious took it from there and left me waking up not just hot, but bothered.

_And if I thought I had a chance in hell of getting the words out, when he showed up later on that night I would thank his pretty little behind for being pretty enough to distract me from the nightmares I probably would have had instead._

I'd known he sort of looked familiar when he'd first walked up and saved me from Bill's friends, but I was too rattled. I didn't put two and two together until my mind was running through the list of people he might be visiting, when the memory of Dawn's thoughts from a few weeks earlier slammed into my head. She'd _been with_ him, but then she'd _been with_ a lot of fellas. At the moment I knew she was doing her best to attach herself to my boneheaded brother, but hearing Eric say he was on his way to see Bill and not Dawn made me feel better.

_Not that I had the right to feel anything about that._

How he managed to put me at ease, I'll never know, but the fact remained that he'd made me feel safe. I didn't condone violence as a rule, but you'd be surprised how quickly your views change when it's your own butt on the line. He'd killed the vampire that seemed to be the ringleader of the three that were about to do God knows what to me, but it was his concerned voice and his willingness to leave the choice up to me – without that pressure in my head that I always felt from Bill – on whether or not I'd let him take me home that got me into his car. I liked that he was willing to answer my questions. I liked being treated like a normal woman – he didn't know about my crazy curse – and I liked feeling like one since I couldn't read his mind. I had no doubt the man was a world class flirt, but not being able to hear whatever depraved thoughts he might have been having was refreshing to say the least.

_And he had that world class butt to boot._

One glance at the clock told me I didn't have the time to think about that or anything else any further, so I rolled out of bed and got my own butt in gear to get to work. It wasn't until I was making my way downstairs that I remembered my car had conked out. Since I could hear Maxine's voice coming from the kitchen, I figured I could ask her for a ride, but as soon as I walked into the room I could see it parked out back. Gran had already been in her room when I'd gotten home the night before, so she was none the wiser about my eventful evening and I planned on keeping it that way, not wanting her to worry. I tried to act cool, but I was sure my face gave me away when I heard Maxine – who was mid-story – saying, "They think it was a _vampire_."

She'd whispered '_vampire_' like it was a dirty word, but I couldn't stop myself from interrupting and asking, "What about vampires?" while fondly recalling my savior from the night before. I'd been scared as all get out of the other three, but I would've been just as scared had they been human and acted the same. Thanks to my savior, I knew all vampires weren't bad and Eric had not just gone the extra mile in taking me home, but he put me at ease enough to be laughing by the time I got there.

_Not an easy feat considering I'd still been covered in the blood of the vampire he'd ended to protect me._

Both sets of eyes turned to me, with Gran's being skeptical over her claims and Maxine's filled with excitement, as she explained, "Maudette Pickens was found strangled to death. They said she had _fang marks_ on her body and nobody thinks that's a coincidence now that Bon Temps has its very own _vampire_."

_Again with the whispering. Did she think Bill would hear her all the way across the cemetery? At 10:00 am?_

I'd gone to school with Maudette and while I knew better than to put anything past Bill, it seemed weird that any vampire would strangle someone to death.

_Wouldn't they just drain them instead?_

I felt bad for Maudette, but there wasn't anything I could do to change things and instead of offering my two cents, I just gave Gran a quick peck on the cheek saying, "I don't want to be late for work, but I'll be home in time to make dinner." I gave her a look that said I meant business because she wasn't the best patient – nor did she have much patience when it came to her recovery – and had been trying to do too much. But the woman was as stubborn as the day was long and I could only hope that I'd be home in time to stop her.

I grabbed my things and walked out to my car – hoping it would start since it made its way to the house somehow – when I found a note tucked under the wiper blade that read:

_**All fixed compliments of Eric Northman. Feel free to give me a call if you have any more trouble with it. – Tray Dawson**_

_That…that…highhanded vampire!_

_He was SO getting a piece of my mind later on!_

I ignored the smile on my face – along with the highhanded vampire who was the reason it was there to begin with – and got in. My smile grew even wider when it started on the first try, so I pretended I didn't notice that either and drove to work. The parking lot was nearly full and the bar hadn't even opened yet, but I was sure it was due to Maudette's death, so I hurried up and ran inside. Sam looked relieved to see me and I quickly got to work getting people seated and putting their orders in, while everyone talked in not so hushed voices about Maudette's murder. And the din only grew worse when Bud Dearborn and Andy Bellefleur walked in during the lunchtime rush. Everyone was trying to get information from the two of them and I was just as curious, so I dipped into their heads and nearly dropped my tray hearing Jason's name pop into Andy's head when Rene asked him about suspects.

_There had to be a mistake…not Jason…_

He loved women too much – emphasis on both _love_, in the physical sense of the word, and _too much_, in the literal sense of the word. Jason wouldn't harm anyone, much less a woman he'd slept with, but thankfully neither Andy nor Bud said his name out loud. However their silence only added fuel to Rene's fire, with him shouting to the rapt crowd, "See? It was that vampire! We all _know_ it, they're just too afraid to _say_ it." I noticed more than few heads nodding along with his crazy talk and Arlene's looked like a dashboard bobble head doll doing fifty down my driveway.

Bud managed to calm everyone down and I think things would've been fine had someone not turned on the TV. There on the screen were images of a burned down church in Dallas and the caption '_Vampire Attack_' underneath the visibly shaken reporter's head. Rene yelled for everyone to quiet down as Arlene turned up the volume and we all listened as he said,

_"**I want to warn our viewers that what you're about to see is unsettling and not something for children to witness."**_

The camera cut away to a video of the still smoldering church and bodies – a lot of bodies – strewn about the green lawn. Given the size of some of them it was easy to see there were children amongst them and I felt myself stop breathing.

_"**According to eyewitnesses a group of vampires stormed into the Dallas branch of The Fellowship of the Sun church in the early morning hours, during a lock-in service filled with families. The congregation – men, women, and children – were slaughtered in an unprovoked attack. Only a few of them managed to escape, one of them being the Reverend Steve Newlin who is here to tell us what he saw."**_

The camera panned to the man standing beside him. I recognized him from previous news shows where he'd gone on TV to spout his hatred of vampires. And even with everything I'd experienced thanks to Bill, I always thought him to be a paranoid bigot, but with the images of dead children now burned into my memory I didn't know what to think. His fancy suit was torn and covered in soot and blood. And his normally perfectly coiffed hair was standing straight up as his reddened eyes blazed into the camera's lens, saying,

_"**I am here to bear witness to the indisputable fact vampires are our enemy. Look around! See the bodies of our brothers and sisters, our husbands and wives, and our children that they've slaughtered. They forced their way into our peaceful sanctuary and killed without cause – without remorse. They are incapable of remorse because they are walking manifestations of the devil himself. THEY are an abomination. THEY are pure evil walking this earth and none of us will be safe until all of them are made to face God's judgment. We must rise up and fight back before our race – the human race – is nothing but a memory."**_

He broke down in tears, as did the reporter, and a quick glance at the patrons of Merlotte's showed they weren't the only ones. I was distraught too and while I knew not all vampires were boy scouts, I knew some of them were good.

_At least one of them was, for sure._

The sadness in the room quickly turned to anger, with Rene standing up on a barstool and spinning up the crowd even more in another hate filled rant. Vampires were our enemy. We shouldn't trust them and in fact, should kill them on sight. But even more concerning than his hateful tirade was the crowd's reaction to his words.

_They agreed with him – both with their words and their thoughts._

Even Bud and Andy seemed to have fallen in line and while they said nothing to agree with Rene, they said nothing to stop him either. Even their thoughts had moved on from Jason's possible motives in Maudette's murder to focus on Bill's as they were leaving the bar. I was more relieved than I let on when Rene finally left too and Sam had been smart enough to turn the TV off. However the patrons were still angry and fearful with everyone speculating on Maudette's murder, while trying to tie it into Bill's presence in our town. But eventually that died down too. It wasn't until the start of the dinner shift when I realized, in fact, nothing had died down.

My shift was nearing its end and I'd spent the better part of two hours hoping Eric wouldn't be coming by. Not because I didn't want to see him, but because I was worried for his safety in a town full of vampire haters. I'd even thought about leaving him a message at his bar, but I'd been too busy to look up the number and make the call. I was just about done filling Dawn in on the tables she'd be taking over from me when Jason's boss, Catfish Hunter, leapt up out of his booth like it was on fire. Ironically, he yelled, "Never mind my order Sook! I got a fire to get to!" and ran out of the door along with a couple of the other volunteer firemen. My mind was still working on a way to get a hold of Eric, so I didn't think anything of it until I was driving down Hummingbird Lane a short time later. The sun hadn't quite set yet, so I could easily see the plumes of smoke billowing up into the sky and my heart nearly beat out of my chest as I raced home.

_Gran!_

Only when I barreled up our driveway, I could see it wasn't our house that was on fire.

_It was Bill's._

Both Gran – with the aid of her walker – and Maxine were standing on the front porch. But I could see Jason and a group of guys standing around watching from the cemetery, so I headed towards them with my eyes scanning Bill's driveway looking for a red corvette. From the way Eric had been talking the night before, I didn't think he'd be spending the day there, but my stomach didn't stop turning until I saw it was nowhere in sight.

"What happened?" I asked as soon as I stopped next to Jason.

"Don't know," he replied before turning to face me. I could hear from his thoughts that he knew firsthand Maudette had fang marks and was wondering himself if maybe Bill had something to do with her death. But it only further eased my mind seeing for myself that Jason had nothing to do with her murder.

"Maybe it was faulty wiring," Rene – who was standing on Jason's other side with Hoyt – offered. But his thoughts told me otherwise even as he ended with, "God's way I guess."

_Rene's way was more like it. He had set the fire._

I felt myself blanch as I swayed on my feet, but Jason caught me around the waist asking, "You feelin' alright Sook? You don't look so hot."

I was still trying to swallow the bile in my throat when Rene piped up with, "She looks like any good girl should. Not like them ones that run around with _vampires_. You're lucky your sister ain't one a them fangbangin' whores."

My knees buckled seeing flashes from Rene – strangling his sister – strangling Maudette – straddling their dead bodies and…and…

"Oh my stars! What happened?"

As I came to hearing Gran's voice, I opened my eyes to see Jason was carrying me up the porch steps and heard him say, "I don't know. One minute she was standing there and the next she was swayin' in the breeze and nearly took a header into one a them headstones."

Jason put me on the couch, with Gran appearing overhead just a moment later, but seeing Rene had tagged along I weakly said, "I'm fine. It was so busy at the bar I didn't get a chance to take a break, so I haven't eaten anything today."

My statement was true, but I knew it had nothing to do with me passing out. I tried to sit up, only to get bullied into laying back down, while Gran sent Jason into the kitchen to get the sandwich Maxine was in there making for me. I tried to eat it as quickly as possible, if only so everyone would see that I was fine so they would leave because I didn't know what time to expect Eric. I didn't want any of them – especially Rene – to meet him with everything going on. But none of them left right away and as the night wore on with no Eric in sight, I began to worry for a whole different reason.

He didn't show up at all that night. Or the next night or the next. Days turned into a week, which turned into two and then three. The fire at Bill's house had been declared accidental – due to faulty wiring – but I knew damn well thanks to Bud's thoughts that it was arson. Traces of gasoline had been found everywhere, but Bill hadn't shown his face again and the general consensus of the town was '_good riddance_'. There was no way for them to know for sure whether or not Bill had actually died in the fire because the roof had given way quickly and his body would have turned to ash. But they officially declared him to be the only suspect in Maudette's murder and considered the case closed now that he was assumed finally dead. I was the only one who knew who the real killer was, but I had no proof. And since Jason's life didn't hang in the balance – and seeing firsthand what Rene was capable of – I was worried about my own family's safety and didn't want to stick my neck out. I doubted any good would come of it anyway thanks to Bud's own falsifying of evidence, so Bill's possible murderer – Rene – would never be brought to justice.

I'd thought about going out to Fangtasia one night to see Eric, if only to make sure he was okay. But the local news reports showed vampire hate was quickly spreading in the southern states with Reverend Newlin leading the charge. Local governments were trying to pass laws outlawing vampires in their towns and they were getting a lot of support, while militias who'd formed in the wake of the vampire attack in Dallas got nothing more than a slap on the wrist whenever one of them was caught harming or ending a vampire. News vans and protesters set up camp outside of every known vampire establishment, with stores removing True Blood from their shelves – be it due to bigotry or fear of retribution from their intolerant human clientele. So many of the vampires were migrating north where it was safer for them or leaving the country altogether. New Orleans' most famous and prominent vampire, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, had even gone on TV denouncing what had happened in Dallas. But her efforts only managed to get herself killed when her well known mansion in the French Quarter went up in flames the very next day.

No one knew I'd had any involvement with vampires, with the exception of having waited on Bill that very first night, and I'd never made any remarks one way or the other about what I thought of them. So no one bothered to censor themselves in front of me – assuming I fell in line with the rest of the haters – even though their thoughts would've given them away anyway. Rene had disappeared a few days after Bill's house had burned down and when he returned he'd bragged about being trained by the Fellowship to be one of their soldiers. He even opened up his own '_church_' and Arlene – along with most of Merlotte's regulars – were his devoted parishioners. They all made my stomach turn, but I kept my mouth shut and was just grateful that Gran and Jason hadn't been persuaded to join. Sam was wary of the hatemongers too and even Dawn had redoubled her efforts on my brother, seeming to have given up going to the clubs in Shreveport. So it was just like any other day when I showed up at the bar for my shift when the world all but stopped.

"Did ya hear about that _vampire bar_ in Shreveport going up in flames last night?"

Rene was sitting up at the bar and directing his comments to those around him, but my feet wouldn't move from the spot I was now glued to.

"It was the last of them that I know about, so with that lot out of the way we should be good to go."

I had no way of knowing if there was more than one vampire bar in Shreveport, but my heart stopped seeing the images in Rene's mind. Him and a bunch of his cronies, none of whom I recognized, had gone to Fangtasia the night before. They'd been doing recon on it for weeks and one of them set fire to the front of the building just as they'd closed up for the night, while the rest waited out back with silver nets. The protestors and news vans had already left by then, so there was no one there to see them as they'd caught three of them when they tried to escape the flames out the backdoor. The first vampire to come out looked like he'd been a Native American when he was still human and the second, well she reminded me of an Alice in Wonderland only with fangs. And she'd been pissed. But it was seeing the last one who made me gasp out loud before I clutched my chest in horror.

Eric.

The only reason I'd been able to stay on my feet was because I forced myself to lock my knees, so I could get as much information from Rene's mind as I could. The three of them were loaded into the back of three waiting vans, so I had no idea of what happened to the first two. But I was grateful – it was the only thing I could be grateful for – that Rene's van held Eric.

"You alright Sook?"

Rene's voice broke through my terror and I realized they were all staring at me. My hand was still clutching my chest and I could feel the tears at the corners of my eyes. But reading from Rene's thoughts he was no longer thinking about Eric and was instead bewildered by my reaction, I swallowed hard and forced out the only thing I could think of to say. "So we're safe then?"

My gut churned inside seeing the smile form on his lips, but I forced one of my own when his thoughts rang clear as day in my head.

_"I knew she was a good girl. Poor thing was probably just too scared to say anything before."_

"Yes Sookie, you're safe now. We ain't gonna let the likes of them keep walkin' 'round these parts no more."

"Oh, okay then," I said, while trying to hide my disgust.

I'd had a lot of practice thanks to my curse and I needed it when Rene's next words were, "You should come to our sermon next week. They normally start around eight on Friday nights, but the kids have a school play that night, so we're having it a couple of hours earlier than normal. I know Arlene would be real happy to see you there and Coby and Lisa would be tickled to have ya."

His thoughts were then filled with the things he needed to get done. He was excited because Reverend Newlin was coming to speak to the congregation in two weeks and the only reason I even considered it was because I knew it was my best chance at getting any information from his mind on what happened to Eric. Over the following days leading up to the _sermon_ I listened in to every customer that walked through Merlotte's doors, hoping I'd hear or see something that had to do with Eric. But I only ever caught that one glimpse of him from Rene on that first day and he hadn't come back into the bar while I was there. I went home every night in pain, not just from keeping my shields down trying to listen in to everyone, but because I was truly distraught over Eric's wellbeing. Gran of course noticed, but I tried to pass it off as just having a long day and I went to bed early every night, just as soon as I made sure she was settled in.

By the time Friday rolled around I couldn't wait to get to the _church_ (which was really just the banquet room of the firehouse), but I was surprised to see so many of the town's faces when I got there. Not everyone was a regular at Merlotte's and I wasn't exactly a social butterfly like my brother, so I'd had no idea so many of my fellow residents were vampire haters. And seeing both Andy and Bud there only made it worse.

_I was both shocked and ashamed._

I sat in a chair in the back and opened my mind up to the thoughts of those around me, but it wasn't until Rene took to the front of the room and began his sermon that I _saw_ Eric in his mind. Rene was blathering on about Steve Newlin coming to the following week's service, but all I could see was Eric's bloodied body held down to a table by silver chains that were burning into his skin. He'd been tortured, bled, and starved, with no sign of the powerful vampire who'd saved me. Instead there was only a hardly recognizable broken imitation left in his place.

I forced myself to not breakdown and retreat from the horror I was seeing and instead I strained with all of my might to root through his mind, searching for any clues as to where Eric could be. Thankfully, the more Rene talked about Steve Newlin, the more he thought about Eric.

He'd been in cahoots with other Fellowship soldiers that night, with each 'leader' taking off with their own vampire. Rene planned on handing over Eric to Newlin during a sunrise service the following week where he'd be left out to burn in the sun at dawn.

_Over my dead body._

Rene had hidden Eric in secret in a hunting cabin he kept on the edge of town. Not even Arlene knew he'd managed to capture a vampire and he'd been going out there every night to torture him – just for fun – and was angry he wouldn't be able to go out there that night because of the kids' school play. But my mind was made up in an instant.

_I would be going out there instead._

As soon as the service was over Rene and Arlene packed up the kids so they could head to the school. But I lingered around in the parking lot before slowly heading that way myself, just in time to see them park their car and head inside. I drove as fast as I could to the edge of town and parked inside of the tree line to hide my car from passing motorists and all but ran through the woods towards where I knew Rene's hunting cabin was. I'd only grabbed the tire iron out of my car because I'd seen in Rene's thoughts that the door was padlocked from the outside, but pulling it free from the decayed wood was easy enough. Much easier than what awaited my eyes when I got the door open.

Eric was lying there on the table, his skin ashy and even paler than before, with open wounds on his bare chest, arms, and legs. I couldn't even find any amusement or lust seeing the tiny red underwear he was wearing because it too was crusted with dried blood, as were the thick silver chains that held him prisoner. But a small mangled cry escaped my throat when my eyes strayed to his hands.

_All of his fingers were gone._

"Eric?" I called out a little louder than a whisper, but he didn't stir at all. I repeated it louder as I forced my legs to carry me into the room, with my hands wringing in front of me. I'd gone there with no plan other than to save Eric, but the chains were padlocked. He wasn't waking up and I wasn't strong enough to carry him. He obviously needed to feed but there wasn't a Tru Blood to be found for miles.

Once I was standing next to him my hand automatically reached out to touch his chest. His skin was colder than I thought it should be and I wished I'd grabbed the blanket I kept in the back of my car, but it wouldn't have done any good anyway since vampires had no body heat. My eyes swept through the room and landed on a side table that nearly made me gag when I saw a pair of bolt cutters with dried blood on them.

_Blood from his fingers being cut off one by one._

Suddenly feeling more anger than pity, I snatched them from the table and began cutting the chain away from Eric's lifeless form hoping it would help him to come around once it was no longer touching his skin. My tears dripped down onto his chest, leaving new red trails on his skin as they mixed with his blood, while I murmured my apologies as I removed the chains because his flesh came away with them. But I was even more worried because he had yet to stir. The silver holding Eric down was so much heavier than what had been used on Bill, but I supposed that had to do with their age if Rene had somehow known how old Eric was.

When the last chain had been removed I did my best to wake Eric by shaking him and calling out his name. But not knowing if Rene might decide to pay him a visit when the school play was over made me fearful enough to take drastic measures. I ran back to the table where I'd noticed a silver blade that had been lying next to the bolt cutters, but something else caught my eye that made me even more sickened.

_His fangs._

I scooped them up, shoving them into my pocket, and grabbed the knife. Cleaning the dried blood off as best as I could, I sliced a two inch long gash down the length of my wrist. The adrenaline coursing through me negated any pain I might have felt and I placed the open wound over Eric's parted lips. Running my fingers through his hair with my other hand, I pleaded with him to drink and nearly cried out with joy when his lips slowly started to move. His Adam's apple bobbed as he took his first swallow, but my joy turned into fear a second later.

It all happened so fast.

_His growl vibrated against my bloodied wrist._

_His arms wrapped around my body like steel bands crushing me to him._

_And when his eyes opened, it was clear he had no idea of who I was._

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter Four

**DISCLAIMER: Nope. Not mine now either.**

Chapter Four

**EPOV**

My body reacted on instinct, taking in the blood it so desperately needed, and in my barely lucid state I couldn't even see clearly. While the room was lit only by the full moon's rays streaming in through the open door, the being trapped in my arms quite literally blinded me to the point I couldn't make out anything but a hazy white light.

_It was as though I'd somehow managed the impossible and had ensnared the sun._

The warmth in my arms and the sweet scent that went with it made other parts of me stir as well, but they were nothing compared to the unbelievably sweet nectar that was sliding across my tongue and down my throat. I had nothing I could compare it to and couldn't help but wonder if perhaps I'd met my true death because surely I could only find something as delectable as this in Valhalla. In my hunger I tried to bite further into the skin at my lips, growling out in my frustration when I realized I had nothing but my blunt teeth to aid me in my quest for more blood. In my confusion I pulled back slightly and ran my tongue along my gums, then remembered why when I felt the holes where my fangs should have been. But I'd paused long enough to register the crying voice of my shining star, pleading, "Please Eric! It's Sookie! I'm here to help you!"

_Sookie?_

Even in my bloodlust state I remembered the name and the woman it belonged to. In the weeks following our first meeting I often found my thoughts wandering back to her whenever I felt the need for a break from the clusterfuck we'd found ourselves in. Thanks to the Area 9 vampires, they had managed to ruin two years' worth of what had been a slowly improving co-existence between vampire and humans. My brief memories of Sookie had gotten me through more than one long night, but I hadn't given in to the urge to seek her out, knowing it wouldn't be safe for either one of us.

Just hearing the fear in her voice made me release her from my grasp, but now that I no longer had the good fortune of having fingers, I was barely able to keep hold of her arm so I could lick her wound closed before letting her go. I knew it would take some time for me to fully heal, but even with the amount of blood I'd just taken I could already feel the tingling sensation of the digits beginning to regenerate. When my eyes were finally able to focus I could see her pale tear stricken face and worried I might have taken too much blood, so I forced out a hoarse but genuine, "I'm sorry."

She'd only taken one step back from me, but her eyes never wavered from mine as she gasped out in a hitched breath, "Are you okay?"

No, I wasn't fucking _okay_. I'd been bested by idiots with a silver net because I'd been too blinded by my rage caused by my own child's pain and was focused on trying to get to her when I too was captured. I'd lived through worse torture, but the overwhelming ache I had to get to Pam was worse than anything that prick could do to me. He'd been coming to me every night – taunting, cutting, and mutilating to his heart's content.

_And I planned on returning the favor._

He'd been quite talkative when explaining his diabolical plans, so I knew he was under the leadership of the false prophet Newlin. But thinking on it now made me wonder how Sookie knew where I was. I'd had nothing but time on my hands – so to speak – since my capture, so I'd known based on what I could hear that my redneck prison was set far back in the woods, at least two miles from the nearest road.

_How did she know where to find me?_

The only logical conclusion I could draw was that she was somehow affiliated with my torturer. It even made sense considering what I knew of her run in with the three vampire I'd stupidly saved her from, so I reached out and grabbed her again before she could get away. With my arms holding her securely against my weakened body, I snarled out, "How did you know where to find me?"

I knew she couldn't be glamoured and while I would hate to mar her perfect skin, I would do it if necessary. My bond with Pam was weak but there, so I knew she hadn't met her true death yet. And even though I'd been tamping down my side to spare her from any additional pain, I knew she too had been experiencing her own. Not even the distracting blond with the delectable blood would dissuade me from doing whatever was necessary to free my child and avenge whatever atrocities were forced upon her. So when she didn't answer me, I used what little strength I could muster and aided by gravity, I threw us both down onto the rotted wooden floor with me on top of her. She yelped in surprise and yet even full of my own anger. along with the confusing sense of betrayal I felt over her complicity, I hated seeing the fear in her eyes. But I had no choice. If she was one of the Fellowship's followers, she would be meeting her God much sooner than she could've guessed.

_But first, I needed answers._

Without the use of fingers I was forced to pin her arms at her sides using my legs and my rage shone through with another snarl when I realized I couldn't even grab the knife lying at our side. Other than hitting her with the mangled stumps at the ends of my arms, my only other option would be to bite her with my teeth. And without fangs it would be considerably more painful and messier.

Before I could decide on which course to pursue, she whimpered, "Please Eric, I came here to help you."

"HOW DID YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME? WHERE IS MY CHILD?" I yelled, while ignoring the nagging in the pit of my gut to set her free.

She somehow managed to shrink down into the floor even more, but her silence only enraged me further. It wasn't until my arm was raised, preparing to strike, that her teary eyes met mine as she whispered, "I'm a telepath."

In my millennia walking the earth I'd never come across a true telepath. I'd come across several charlatans claiming to have the gift. But since I already knew she couldn't be glamoured – and now wondered if it was due to her being an actual telepath – it stayed my hand long enough for her to softly sob out, "I saw what Rene did to you in his thoughts. I'm so sorry for what happened to you. If I had known, I would've come sooner. Maybe…maybe…I could've stopped him. Maybe…you wouldn't have been hurt. But I only found out where you were tonight when I went to Rene's sermon, hoping he would think about you. And he did. And he thought about _what_ he did to you…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…"

She was sobbing uncontrollably by then, but I was frozen on top of her even though my mind was swaying. In my weakened condition it wasn't long before my body was swaying as well, but it only served to remind me that she had indeed freed me. The chains that had been holding me down for a week had been removed from my body before I came back to consciousness.

_And I'd woken up to her feeding me – her bloody wrist at my lips – something she would've had to do because I'd been incapable of biting her._

I let myself fall to her side and reached out, intending on wiping her tears away. But I pulled back just as quickly seeing the bloodied stump I was stuck with for the time being and instead only said softly, "I am truly sorry Sookie. I wasn't thinking clearly and thought perhaps you were with the Fellowship as well."

In my shame, I couldn't even meet her eyes with my own trained on the floor, so I was startled when I felt her hand come to rest on my knee as she sniffled out, "It's…it's okay, but I think we should get out of here. Rene's thoughts were angry earlier because he had to go to a school play instead of being able to come here tonight. But I don't know if he'll change his mind."

Any other time I would lie in wait hoping he _would_ show up, but it would be foolish to do so now when I couldn't even hold a weapon. My body was too weak from the silver and loss of blood to be a real threat to him, so I had no choice but to retreat for now.

_But I would get my revenge._

I felt even more emasculated when I had to accept her help in pulling me to my feet. But at least I was rewarded with another blush when her eyes took in what I was wearing – or _not_ wearing as the case may be. She averted them once more by scanning the room, I assumed for something to cover me with, but the clothes I'd been wearing were nothing but scraps by the time they'd been cut off of my body. Finding nothing, she turned to me and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't think to bring anything with me, but there's a blanket in my car."

"Please stop apologizing," I softly entreated, recalling my thoughts when I'd first happened upon her. I'd been outraged by those three insolent fucks who were going to harm her – _an innocent_ – and yet that was _exactly_ what I had done. I didn't even have it in me to make a joke that I was wearing the Chippendale's Sheriff's costume again. But I was grateful for her silence as she wrapped my arm around her shoulders – showing no sign of being disgusted by what was left of my hand – and started moving towards the door.

_So rare was she – a true steel magnolia._

I leaned on her more than I was comfortable with – not because I didn't want to touch her, but because I didn't like showing any weakness to anyone, much less her. She hadn't said a word since we'd left the cabin and we moved slowly through the woods, so my thoughts were free to roam and brought me back to her confession.

_She was a telepath._

"Is that why you got into my car that night?" I asked and seeing the confusion on her face when she turned to face me, I elaborated, "You read from my thoughts that I meant you no harm?"

It was one of the things I'd often pondered in my downtime since meeting her, but she showed no signs of deception when she didn't hesitate in answering, "I can't hear vampires' thoughts. It's one of the reasons I first told Bill he could call on me. I was more interested in the fact his thoughts were silent than the man himself."

It was a small relief knowing she couldn't hear my thoughts, but her answer only made me feel worse as I said, "If I recall correctly, your feelings changed when you inadvertently witnessed some of what he was capable of." She hadn't elaborated on what she'd seen, but if the four of them were together, I had my suspicions. What she'd witnessed from _me_ was likely worse – _much_ worse. The violence I'd used on the night we had met had been to save her, so she hadn't faulted me for it. But now…_now_ I'd directed my anger – only a fraction of the violence I was capable of – at _her_. And a large part of me was grateful I'd lost my fingers and fangs because I knew very well what would have happened if I hadn't paused trying to figure out _how_ I would harm her, thereby giving her the opening she wouldn't have had otherwise to tell me her secret. And giving me the opportunity to realize my mistake before it was too late.

When she only nodded, I had to ask, "You saw on the night we'd met what I am capable of, but now that you've been forced to bear the brunt of that as well, I'm left wondering why you didn't just leave me behind. I am obviously too weak to chase after you if you tried to flee."

I couldn't understand the overwhelming guilt I felt, but it was undeniably present. I hated that I'd hurt her – frightened her to the point of tears – and for some strange reason I wanted her to grant me absolution for my sins against her.

My shock was unmistakable thanks to the look on my face when she chuckled, "It's hard to be afraid of a guy wearing itty bitty red underwear."

"Sookie…"

I couldn't tell if her name had come out as a warning, a question, or a plea, but her expression became more serious when she said, "How could I leave you there knowing what was happening to you? What had _already_ happened to you? I understand why you were angry at first, but you let me explain. And ever since then you've been wearing sad puppy dog eyes, so I know you feel bad for doing it."

Not wanting to acknowledge anything that had to do with _sad puppy dog eyes_, I ignored that part and instead clarified, "A quid pro quo. I saved you, so you felt you had to repay your debt."

That I could understand – could wrap my head around – because why else would she put herself at risk by attempting to rescue me. If it weren't for my age and my previous fascination with her, she would've likely been drained. But I nearly stumbled when she stopped short and huffed out her irritation with, "What is it with you guys? First Bill tried to give me his blood for saving him from the Rattrays and now you're insinuating that I would've left you there if you hadn't already saved my life. Is everything so black and white in your world? Why did you pull over on the side of the highway to begin with? Why did _you_ save _me_?"

Initially I'd only stopped to fuck with Malcolm and his merry band of cocksuckers, but _she_ was why I had stayed and I suspected saving her had more to do with than just her innocence or her fear of them. I was curiously drawn to her. The fact I'd been unable to get her out of my mind for weeks after only having spent such a short time with her proved that much, but for that I had no answer. When the silence between us only grew, I changed the subject by asking, "Do you know from his thoughts where my child is being held?"

My off the wall question was enough to jar her from our previous conversation and I didn't have to specify whose thoughts I was asking about because recognition dawned in her eyes. She furrowed her eyebrows as she asked, "You have a child? I haven't seen any kids other than Arlene's in Rene's head."

I was already shaking my head at her misconception as I urged her to begin moving again and explained, "My vampire child, Pam. I am her Maker – the one who made her vampire. She was captured at the same time I was, but I can feel through our bond that she's west of here. Too far away to be certain exactly where though."

I would be able to get a better bead on her if I were closer, but there was no way I'd be able to fly to her given the state I was in. Nor could I mount a successful rescue for the very same reason, however Sookie's voice pulled me from my thoughts by asking, "Is she blond?" When I nodded, she added, "I saw you – all of you – in Rene's thoughts from that night. There was a big Native American looking vampire that came out first and then a blond woman. And then you." Thankfully she failed to mention the triumph of our captors and continued with, "Everyone was put into separate vans, but from what I could hear, the others working with Rene were Fellowship soldiers that aren't from around here. But he hasn't thought about the other two at all when I've been around him. I'm sorry."

While I mentally worked at putting together some sort of strategy to get Pam back – and _maybe_ Longshadow if I wouldn't have to expend too much energy in locating him – we walked in silence. Since we'd all been taken at once, I had no doubts the other vampire in my fealty would have gone to ground. But revealing myself to any one of them in the shape I was in only begged for them to try and end me – be it for my territory or bragging rights. With Sophie-Anne finally dead the remaining sheriffs had been running the state and it was only because the rest of the southern states had their own issues to deal with in the fallout from Area 9's clusterfuck that we hadn't been taken over. The only vampire I could trust in my weakened condition was the one I needed to rescue, so I was still at a loss by the time we were finally at her car.

She moved the passenger seat back as far as it would go before motioning for me to get in and comically wrapped a blanket around my torso.

_After she'd buckled me in._

I kept my less than stellar opinion of her car to myself, but as she maneuvered back onto the road she turned to me with a smile, saying, "I've been meaning to tell you, thanks for getting my car fixed. If you had come by on the night you were supposed to, I probably would've given you grief over your highhandedness, but I really do appreciate it." Her eyebrow rose a second later as she asked seriously, "What do I owe you, Mr. Quid Pro Quo?"

It was a good thing she _couldn't_ read my thoughts because I could think of several things I'd like from her – all of them starting with her naked. But I'd rather be operating at 100% for that anyway and only responded sincerely, "Nothing. You freeing me and feeding me is more than enough repayment."

I pondered over the memory of how good her blood had tasted and wondered if I'd imagined it due to the fact I'd been starving. I might have even asked her for another taste just to see, but the sudden humiliation I felt remembering I no longer had fangs to bite her with kept my mouth shut.

_And I found myself rapidly spiraling downward feeling…insecure_?

The warrior I'd been was all that I'd known for the last millennia, but now I couldn't even feed myself much less defend myself. I suddenly felt like hiding and was grateful for the ridiculous blanket she'd covered me with, but she relieved me of my thoughts by saying, "I'm sorry I didn't have any Tru Blood with me. I didn't really think things through when I saw what Rene had done to you and just ran over as soon as I could. But I can't think of anywhere that even carries it anymore." Before I could tell her that that swill would do little in terms of healing me – I'd need real blood for that – she gasped and turned towards me saying, "Sam! He ordered a couple of cases when Bill first started coming around. It's just been sitting in the stockroom gathering dust for the last couple of weeks, so maybe I could buy it from him…when he's out on a bank run…and nobody's around to see me."

Normally I'd just task Bobby to get donor blood from the hospital for me, but he'd gone missing a week before I'd been captured. I'd been unable to ascertain if he'd been kidnapped or had just taken off on his own, so I'd been going to ground on the nights I didn't stay at Fangtasia because he'd known where most of my safe houses were. And there were enough clues he had access to, to find the locations of the others. Ironically, it was at that very moment that she pulled to a stop and turned to me, asking, "So, where am I taking you to?"

"That's a very good question," I sighed. For yet another unknown reason I ended up explaining everything with Bobby and my resting places. And even though she'd managed to shock me more than any other human in my long lifetime, I was still surprised when she didn't hesitate in saying, "Then, you'll stay with me."

She'd already started driving again and when I could find the words, I shook my head saying, "It's too dangerous." It stood to reason if she knew who my captor was then he knew her as well. And if she was found to be harboring a vampire – his escaped prized prisoner no less – I shuddered to think what he would do to her. Until I was healed I couldn't be much of a protector for her, but it would be impossible for me to keep her safe during the daytime. Were guards were the first thing to come to mind, but our already tense relationship with them was strained further when the humans started protesting our existence. Weres had their own secrets to keep and keeping company with vampire only subjected them to more scrutiny from those they were trying to blend in with.

If it wasn't for Pam's captivity I would simply go north and wait until I was fully healed before moving, possibly back to Europe where vampire/human relations weren't as tense. But my thoughts were interrupted by the feel of her hand as it reached over and patted my knee while she earnestly said, "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

_I felt like a fucking blow-up doll from the semi-permanent gaping hole on my face thanks to her._

"I am more concerned about _your_ safety," I said incredulously.

"Why?" she asked looking just as bewildered as I felt.

"What if _Rene_ figures out you were the one to free me? What if he comes for you during the day? I could barely defend you _now_, but you are completely vulnerable during the daytime!"

I hated admitting to any weakness – especially to _her_, but it needed to be said. If I could gorge myself on human blood for days on end, I _might_ be able to heal in a few weeks' time, but that wasn't an option.

"You're really worried about _me_?" she shyly asked. Thankfully she didn't wait on an answer and only said, "I'll be fine. Besides, you already seem to be on the road to recovery, so I'll get those cases of Tru Blood from Sam somehow and in the meantime you can just feed from me."

I wondered over her definition of _the road to recovery_, but figured it had more to do with my level of alertness than anything else until her hand moved from my knee to my left hand. I hadn't paid any attention to what I'd been physically feeling, but only because I was so used to blocking myself from feeling the pain that had been inflicted on me over the past week. So when she held my hand up in between us, I once again imitated a blow-up doll.

_Bumps had already formed where my fingers were regenerating._

"This…" I stuttered, "This…is _impossible_." I'd lost fingers before – my own Maker wasn't known for his patience and was quick to dole out punishment for the slightest infractions – so I knew how long it took to heal from those types of injuries. Even if my advanced age played a factor – which I couldn't be sure if it did – I doubted it would make _that_ much of a difference. I was already at what I knew would be the fourth or fifth day mark in regards to how much I had re-grown in the matter of an hour.

_I could only make one assumption because there was only one difference between then and now._

Turning to face Sookie, I asked, "What are you?"

Her scent and taste weren't like any other human's I'd ever come across, but the jarring of the car told me we had turned up her pitiful driveway. She waited until she'd parked around the back of the house before turning to me and saying, "A waitress? We've been over that."

Again she didn't wait for me to respond and got out of the car, while I sat there stewing, only because I couldn't open the car door on my own and had to wait for her to do it for me. She draped the blanket over my shoulders once I was standing and motioned for me to follow her, but in my emasculated state I said nothing else until we reached the backdoor. Remembering her telling me of her Gran made me ask, "Do you live here alone?"

There were several other scents – human scents, so I wasn't surprised when she shook her head while unlocking the door, saying, "No. This is my Gran's house, but I've lived here with her since I was a little girl."

But I _was_ surprised when she immediately followed up with, "Please come in Eric."

I don't know _why_ I was surprised, considering we'd talked about it on the way there – even if we hadn't come to any real resolution on the matter. But knowing what I did of her refusal to invite Compton into her home, I was a little stunned she'd issued my invitation without hesitation.

She didn't seem to notice _my_ hesitation as she entered what appeared to be the kitchen and turned on the light saying, "Gran is gone for the weekend. She's moving around a little better now, but she's going stir crazy from sitting at home for so long. So her and Mrs. Fortenberry went with their Descendents of the Glorious Dead group on a trip out to Meridian and they'll hit Jackson and Vicksburg on their way back. She won't be home until sometime Monday evening. I have the weekend off, so I can help take care of you, but I'll try and think of a way to get that Tru Blood from Sam without raising too many suspicions."

I recalled Sookie talking about her grandmother's interest in the American Civil War and recognized the cities she'd mentioned from having had battles fought there. But the only thing I could focus on was the fact Sookie had invited me – an injured vampire who'd already attacked her once – into her home when she would be all alone for the entire weekend.

_I now knew what she was – insane._

"Why aren't you fearful of me?"

I couldn't stop the question from leaving my lips and shored up what little pride I had left in case she was about to tell me it was because I was too weak to do anything to her. But she quickly put me out of my misery by coming to stand directly in front of me and locked her eyes onto mine as she said, "I watched you rip the head off of another being when you were at your strongest. And yet you were nothing but kind – albeit a tad flirtatious – with me and I couldn't have felt safer. Why would I fear you now when you're more worried about me than I am?"

My mouth fell open and I really wished there was something in there – some words of wisdom – or _hell_, I'd even settle for something flirtatious. But all I could do was shut it again not knowing how to address anything she'd just said. She seemed to notice my internal struggle and left me alone for a few minutes, but when she returned, there was a whole new dilemma to ponder.

Holding my now clean t-shirt – the same one she'd borrowed on the night we'd first met – along with a pair of sweatpants I surmised belonged to her brother, her blush was bright red on every inch of skin that was visible to me as she asked, "Would you like me to help you bathe?"

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter Five

**DISCLAIMER: Does this feel repetitive? *nods* Mine yet? *shakes head no***

Chapter Five

**SPOV**

I hated seeing the look in Eric's eyes – the shame from not being able to do anything for himself – and I tried to give him as much space as he seemed to need. I knew he was worried about his child and from what I remembered of seeing her, her beauty made me wonder if there was something more to their relationship than just Maker and child. In the flashes I'd caught from Rene's mind, she looked pretty fierce too – like every other vampire I'd seen. And while I knew next to nothing about their kind, I doubted Eric would have turned her without having some sort of feelings for her to begin with. It made sense really. Why would you turn someone into a vampire if you didn't _like them_ like them?

_Maybe they were a couple?_

It wasn't until I felt the disappointment creep through me that I realized I'd already begun to let myself hope maybe there could be something more between Eric and me. I couldn't hear his thoughts – even when I touched him – and he was undeniably the most handsome man I'd ever seen, so it all but felt like a cruel joke that he was pretty much perfect for me. From the way he'd flirted with me when we first met I'd even thought he might be interested in me, but she was a tiny little thing while I had curves. Our body types were nothing alike – not to mention she was dressed like a dominatrix while my closet was filled with shorts, t-shirts, and sundresses . The only thing we had in common was blond hair. And the more I thought about it, the more I began to think he probably only flirted with me that night to put me at ease.

Realizing now I'd read more into the situation than was called for, I felt like an idiot. And all I had to do was think about what the woman in his life was likely going through at that very moment to cool my jets. I felt ashamed for even thinking about him in that way and only hoped I could man up and get through helping him bathe without my skin setting on fire from my embarrassment. It wasn't as though I'd never seen a naked man before and it wasn't like what little he was wearing hid much. But all that I'd seen had only come from others' thoughts. I'd never seen or touched a naked man – live and in person – in my life, so I hoped I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself because the last thing Eric needed was to be treated with anything less than the respect he deserved.

I didn't begrudge him for questioning my motives when he'd first woken up. And after seeing how swiftly he'd dealt with that vampire who'd licked my face, I knew he wasn't one to dilly dally in getting what he wanted. I was just grateful he didn't look at me like I was a fruitcake when I told him my secret. But then he really didn't have to worry about it since I couldn't read_ his_ thoughts.

I watched his mouth open and close again without saying a word, but I suspected it had been a very long time since he'd last needed help bathing. And I felt even worse for being the one to witness his vulnerability. I was practically a stranger to him and even though it looked like the cuts on his body had mostly healed, he was covered in dried blood and grime. I was sure he would feel much better if he were clean.

_And selfishly, I'd feel better because the guilt knowing he'd been tortured by Rene every night, while I'd done nothing to try and find him sooner, was eating me alive._

I'd resigned myself to offering to just fill up the tub for him and leave him to manage on his own when he finally said, "Is this your attempt at getting me naked? Waiting until I am incapacitated to do so really isn't very fair of you."

The sound of his voice pulled me from my thoughts and my eyes inadvertently landed on his itty bitty red underwear. I felt my skin suddenly blaze red hot as I stuttered, "Uh…no! Of course not! I just figured you'd feel better if you were clean."

_I had nothing but pure intentions. Now..._

I chanted Pam's name over and over in my head and said a quick silent prayer to God asking forgiveness for coveting someone else's vampire. But when my eyes finally looked up to his face, his smirk made me wonder who the telepath in the room was because he swiveled his hips and asked, "See something you like?"

After everything he'd endured – even though he was already spoken for – I preferred his flirty banter a lot more than the forlorn expression he'd been wearing. It was probably just his default setting – much like Jason's – so I let him have his moment and played along by playfully rolling my eyes and saying, "I still don't have any singles, _Sheriff_. Now are you gonna get in the tub or am I gonna have to drag the hose in here?"

"You can drag _my hose_ anywhere you'd like."

_Damn._

Immediately, the chorus of '_It's Raining Men_'rang through my mind, while visions of Eric in a firefighter's costume dancing on stage played behind my eyes – a much better sight than the reality of seeing Catfish Hunter in one. But I turned the hose on my dirty thoughts to wash them away and instead just turned to stomp back towards the bathroom, saying, "I'll get the shower started for you. A _cold_ shower."

I didn't bother to turn around to see if he was following me and put his clothes on top of the toilet seat before leaning into the shower and turning the spigots on, both hot and cold. Because I was the only one who needed a _cold_ shower. But I yelped when I stood up and turned around to find Eric standing there.

_Right there._

_One deep breath away from me touching him._

_In his itty bitty red underwear._

_Double damn._

His eyes were locked onto mine, but I didn't feel any pressure in my head when he smirked, "Are you going to get in the shower with me?"

_Lord knew I could use some brain bleach to wash my dirty mind._

"No!"

_Because I didn't have any brain bleach and I had a feeling my mind was permanently stained anyway._

His eyes slowly traveled from my head to my toes and back again before saying, "If you don't get in to help me shower then you'll get…" He paused just as his voice dropped an octave and I'm pretty sure he purred when he ended with, "_wet_."

_Too late. And the moisture I felt wasn't water either._

I did my best impersonation of a deaf person, while making plans to go to church on Sunday, and turned back around, flipping the lever to turn the shower off and fill the tub instead. By then the room was pretty steamy – mostly from the hot water – but his adlibs weren't helping any. And figuring I would need all the help I could get, I dumped a healthy shot of bubble bath into the water to help hide what would be lurking underneath it.

_Maybe I could bring the bottle with me to church and ask the pastor to bless it like holy water._

I didn't turn around again until the tub was more than halfway full and made my eyes stay on his face, while I felt my own flame red, when I asked as innocently as possible, "Do you need help undressing?"

His eyebrow rose ever so slightly, while his lips formed into a small grin, and he held his arms away from his body. Letting the blanket fall from his shoulders to the floor, he smiled at me and said, "I thought you'd never ask."

_That makes two of us._

I chewed on my bottom lip as I let my eyes slowly travel down the length of his body until they reached his itty bitty red underwear – while totally ignoring what they were straining to contain. My hands reached out, but then they stopped and stuttered around his hips, like I was a mime trying to corral an invisible horde of moths dancing around a flame.

_Lord knew what my hands were centered on was hot enough._

Eric hadn't made a sound and I didn't dare look up to see his expression when I finally took a step around him figuring it would be less embarrassing if I did it from behind.

_And it didn't hurt that he had a really nice behind._

I steeled my resolve while mentally berating myself for feeling – among other things – so flustered. The poor man had just endured a week's worth of torture and was probably just playfully flirting to hide the fact it bothered him to be forced to rely on a stranger for help. The woman he was likely in love with was being held prisoner all while I was ogling her man. So I pushed away any thoughts I wouldn't want another telepath to overhear and adopted a clinical approach to the situation.

With my eyes trained on his back I slid my fingertips into the waistband at his hips, pulling the front out further to free what was being held within, and slid them down his legs. When he stepped out of them I tossed them to the side and left the room, hoping he'd climb into the tub, while I went into the hallway linen closet to get fresh towels and a washcloth. I grabbed a large plastic cup from the kitchen so I could use it to rinse his hair and when I returned I said another silent prayer of thanks he was already underneath the bubbles. But I did notice his flirty expression had changed back into a sullen one.

I wanted to help distract him from his worries about Pam and after the week he'd had I didn't think picking the weather as a topic would cut it. But I couldn't stand the silence in the room either, so I asked, "Did you hear about what happened to Bill?"

I figured he must have known since he was in charge of the vampires in the area, so I was confused when he stared back at me just as confused, asking, "What about Compton?"

His eyes closed when I tipped his head back to pour water over his hair and the sound of his purr when I ran my fingers through it distracted me for a moment, but I swallowed hard and replied, "Oh, well he died. At least that's what everyone's assuming since his house burned down the day after you took me home and no one's seen him since." My eyes met his when I admitted, "It was Rene. I _heard_ him."

He startled me by snarling, making me drop the cup into the water and considering the area it was bobbing around, I left it there and filled my hand with shampoo instead. While he took a deep breath seemingly to calm himself, he closed his eyes again and his body relaxed further into the tub when I worked the lather into his hair. But my fingers stilled when he finally said, "Compton wasn't there. I took him with me when I left that night."

_Triple damn!_

When Bill hadn't made a reappearance I figured he must have died in the fire. And now that Gran was well enough to get around on her own, I'd already told Sam I could start working nights again. The tips were a lot better and we could use the money, so I'd be working the dinner shift come Monday.

"Sookie?"

I glanced at Eric and realized I'd zoned out, so I went back to lathering his hair and explained, "I uh…thought he was dead. You know, for good. So I told Sam he could start scheduling me for the dinner shift again."

"You don't have to worry about Compton, at least not for now. He contracted the Sino Virus and is too weak to be a threat to anyone. It'll be months before he's healed," he explained.

"Oh," I repeated before adding, "Is there like a vampire hospital somewhere?"

If there was, I hoped it was well hidden considering all of the vampire hate going around, but I was surprised when he answered, "There is, but Compton isn't there. He'd been…_incarcerated _with me for only one night when he called his Maker. She made arrangements with my…_superior_ to get him released into her custody and took him with her to Jackson. But after the events in Dallas I wouldn't be surprised if they've returned to Seattle."

Jackson was simultaneously far enough away and too close for comfort, so I really hoped they were in Seattle by now. But there was nothing I could do about it and just hoped he would forget all about me while he was gone. It wasn't like he had a house to return to anyway, so I made a precision like grab for the cup to rinse his hair, while snickering about how similar vampire jails were to human ones and said, "I guess he put his one phone call to good use then, huh?"

I'd only just started pouring the water over his hair when he said, "He didn't use a phone." He paused before explaining, "Vampire are bound by blood to their Maker. We can use our blood to sense one another's emotions and can communicate that way to an extent. It's how she knew he wanted her to come to him."

Considering it got Bill out of Eric's jail I figured it was a pretty handy feature to have. But I gasped out loud just as another thought occurred to me. "Is…is _Pam_ calling for you?"

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes when he closed his own and sighed, "She is."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I knew there wasn't anything else I could say to make him feel better and suspecting he was in pain – both physically and emotionally – was enough to make washing the rest of him (without my mind wandering to the lewd end of the spectrum) easy enough. I'm sure what I felt between his legs that got a quick wipe of the washcloth was just…just…_circumstantial_ to being touched so intimately.

_It was probably just a guy thing, so I doubted he could help it._

When I was finished I pulled the stopper from the drain and turned the water back on to heat it up again before flipping the lever for the shower so he could rinse the bubbles off, while my mind worked on figuring out a way I could help him. I did my best to not look at him considering he was naked and all, but I couldn't help it.

_When a guy that big is in an area that small, he's kinda hard to miss._

I noticed the places where I knew there had been open wounds were now nothing but pink skin and couldn't stop myself from saying, "You all seem to heal pretty fast. Are you sure Bill won't be healthy anytime soon?"

My eyes automatically moved to his hands and I marveled over the fact his fingers were already growing back. At that rate I suspected it would only take another day or two, when he replied, "We do heal quickly, but not from what Compton has. He'll be incapacitated for months." Since my eyes were already staring at his hands I wasn't startled when he reached out and lifted my arm up while saying, "Our saliva has healing properties as well. It's why your cut is nearly gone."

I hadn't even thought about it considering I had bigger problems to worry about at the time, but I was a little taken aback when he added, "Thank you for feeding me."

"You're welcome," I shrugged not seeing what the big deal was. "You needed it and it's not like I had any Tru Blood on me."

He went back to rinsing the suds from his body, so I pulled the curtain closed to give my averting eyes a break and turned to get the towel ready for him when I heard him say, "We can survive on synthetic blood, but we get our strength from human blood." He paused before adding, "But I shouldn't be this healed already."

It wasn't like I was a vampire doctor, so he would know better than me and I really didn't have much to add to the conversation. But when I heard him curse I reacted without thinking and pulled the shower curtain back to see him struggling to turn the faucet off. He looked even angrier when I leaned in to do it for him and saying, "I'll get it." But I figured he was only mad at not being able to do it himself and didn't take offense.

I held the towel spread open in front of me and kept my eyes on the ceiling as he stepped out of the tub. I felt my blush make a speedy return hearing him chuckle, but decided it was worth the embarrassment if it would get him to stop thinking about his temporary disability. It wasn't until I was drying him off when it dawned on me. If Bill's Maker could find him then Eric should be able to find Pam. He'd already said that he could feel she was west of us, so I asked, "If we just got in my car and started driving west then you should be able to narrow down where she is, right? We could leave tomorrow right after sunset."

I thought it was a great idea, but he only sounded defeated as he replied, "Even if we were to find her, I would need to be at my full strength in order to free her. I have no way of knowing how many captors there are and I wouldn't be able to fight them."

The mood in the room returned to sullen, so I silently dried him off before grabbing the sweatpants Jason had left at the house and squatted down in front of him holding them open.

_God help me, with my eyes squeezed shut, thank you very much._

As soon as I felt him step into them, I chanced a peek at his feet to make sure they were through the pant legs and then kept my eyes on his feet while I quickly pulled them up to cover him. I was sure there'd be another playful taunting smirk on his face, but when I finally looked up all I saw was apprehension. Even though I didn't know him very well, it didn't look like it was an expression he wore often. I figured it had to do with Pam and what she might say if she knew her man was being dressed by another woman. So I tried to make myself sound unaffected – _you know, because I bathed giant naked vampire sheriffs all the time_ – and pulled his shirt over his head, saying as though I was relieved the chore was over, "Alright, now that that's done, you ready for dinner?"

I didn't wait for a reply and turned, leaving the room and going into the kitchen. I still wasn't thinking too clearly and opened the refrigerator like I expected there to be a plate of leftover blood casserole inside. But seeing him enter the room in my peripheral, I grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea like that had been my intention all along. Since he was my guest, and Gran would tan my hide if I rudely served myself refreshments before serving my guest, I left the pitcher on the counter and pulled a paring knife from the drawer. Gran kept it as sharp as a razor, but before I could slice into my wrist again, Eric's voice broke into the silence, asking, "What are you doing?"

"Preparing your dinner?"

_I was no Martha Stewart, but I was pretty sure this was how it was done._

"You've already fed me," he argued. "I must have taken too much blood before I came to my senses since I am healing so rapidly. You can't afford to lose more until your body has had time to replenish."

I ignored the little flutter in my chest hearing his concern for me – again – and sloughed it off thinking it was probably only because he'd be up crap's creek without a paddle if I wasn't there to help him. And not because he felt anything for me.

_He was with Pam._

I pulled a chair up alongside the one he was sitting in, while shaking my head and saying, "You only swallowed one mouthful – maybe one and a half – before…you know…I freaked out and you licked it closed. I donate blood at the Red Cross all the time and I know you got nowhere near as much as they take, so I still have plenty to give." When he just stared back at me with his mouth hanging open, I tried to make a joke by smiling and saying, "Don't make me feel bad about offering my houseguest leftovers."

He still didn't look convinced and I never thought I'd be trying to talk a vampire into feeding from me. But knowing he needed the blood, I played dirty by saying, "I'll figure out a way to get that Tru Blood from Sam tomorrow, but you said yourself you needed _human_ blood to get your strength back. Don't you want to be able to free Pam?"

His lip curled up into a snarl – understandable since they had his woman, but he pulled his lips back into a tight straight line just as quickly. With his shoulders sagging in defeat, he replied, "Yes."

I didn't want to give him the opportunity to change his mind, but just as I cut my wrist open for a second time that night I felt a flash of insecurity. Despite his reasoning, his hesitance made me wonder if he didn't want to feed from me because he didn't care for the taste of my blood. My diet consisted of mostly southern comfort foods, but maybe he preferred something a little spicier?

_Should I eat out tomorrow? Mexican food? There was an Indian place in Monroe. Curry flavored blood?_

_How does one ask that question?_

He looked like he was brooding which only made me think I was on to something, but there was nothing I could do about it at the moment. As soon as the blood started flowing, I held my wrist out to him and watched as he tentatively wrapped his lips around the cut. His eyes closed as soon as he took the first pull from my vein, so I searched his expression for any signs he was disgusted by what he was eating. It would be so much easier if I could read his mind, but no matter how much I pushed at his head I couldn't get anything other than the vampire void telling me he was there.

He drank for several minutes before I felt his tongue lick the inside of my wrist and I stifled the urge to pull away and giggle.

_Sue me – I'm ticklish._

When he was done I pulled my arm away and apologized by saying, "I'm sorry I can't offer you variety in your meals, but would it help if I ate something different for lunch tomorrow? Do you have any preferences?"

He just stared back at me like I was an idiot. I only knew because I'd seen that expression a lot in my lifetime and it usually went with the thought of me being '_Crazy Sookie_'. So I made to stand up, feeling humiliated that my blood wasn't up to his standards, but he quickly put his hand on my leg and said, "I've never tasted blood like yours before. I thought perhaps I'd imagined the flavor since I wasn't lucid the first time you fed me. It's very…sweet."

_Well there went my plans for having some cookies and juice._

My eyes moved to the pitcher of sweet tea I wouldn't be drinking now as I regretfully said, "I'm sorry. I'll refrain from having any sweets until you're better."

"You misunderstand," he said, pulling my eyes back to his. "I have a thousand years' worth of comparison. Your blood is unequaled and I can honestly say yours would be my preference."

_Who knew a girl could feel flattered about the way her blood tasted?_

I even blushed a little, but my little happy moment turned to horror when I watched him move one hand to hold down the knife I'd used, while he moved his other arm over and nicked his own wrist on the tip.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Instead of answering me he put his bloodied wrist on top of my own, pressing our wounds together and making me nervously chuckle, "Is this a vampire thing? Are we blood brother and sister now?"

His eyebrow pitched and he didn't look or sound very happy when he tersely replied, "No. Our blood has healing properties as well. You shouldn't be left scarred from feeding me."

I wondered what got his panties in a twist and then remembered he wasn't wearing any – they were still twisted up lying in the corner of the bathroom. But before I could let my mind wander down that path, I stood up saying, "Thanks. People would probably think even worse about me if they saw slashes on my wrist." But knowing some people got high off of vampire blood – Lafayette – I asked, "This won't make me high – like V– will it?"

I walked over to the sink and washed the blood from my wrist, marveling over the fact there was no sign of the cuts I'd made. But when I turned around, ready to clean off his arm with a wet paper towel, he was already licking it clean.

_That really shouldn't turn me on, but it kinda was._

_Fiddlesticks! Was I already high?_

Thankfully he dumped a bucket of ice water on both of those thoughts by answering, "No," and followed up with, "Why would anyone think poorly of you?"

I pointed at my head replying, "Telepath. It's the reason _and_ it's how I know." He only looked confused, so I explained, "When I was little I didn't have any control over it and used to answer the thoughts I heard in people's heads. Even now I can't always keep my shields up. It's worse when I'm tired or upset, so I tend to walk around with my Crazy Sookie smile plastered onto my face because I can hear the men thinking about the nasty things they want to do to me and the women thinking about every flaw I have to make themselves feel better."

Eric was in a really sour mood because he snarled, "They are idiots. You have _no_ flaws!" Seeing me startle, he softened his expression and added, "Except for the fact that you seem to have no issue with inviting a strange vampire into your home."

"You're not so strange," I smiled. "A little on the ridiculously tall side, but not so much that you'd end up in a circus sideshow."

I grinned wider seeing him finally crack a smile as he teased, "It's not my fault you are vertically challenged."

"Nope," I agreed. "That was my momma's fault."

"I want you to take some of my blood."

_What? What kind of segue was that?_

Seeing God knows what kind of expression on my face he explained, "You would only require a small amount, but I would be able to sense you. If you were fearful, I would know and could find you. But it would fade over time unless I were to give you more blood."

He wouldn't be able to come to me in the daytime and now that I knew Bill was still alive, I didn't plan on going out after dark until I had to work on Monday night. Not seeing the point and figuring he needed all of his blood in order to fully heal, I waved him off and said, "I'll be fine." He looked like he wanted to argue with me, so I quickly changed the subject by saying, "Now, let's get your room set up."

Basements were hard to come by in Louisiana since the water table was so high, but Jason's old room was just across the hall from mine and only had one small window. I ran out to the shed and grabbed a spare piece of plywood, leftover from the last time Jason and Hoyt patched a small hole in the roof, and brought it upstairs along with a hammer and some nails. It didn't take long for me nail it over the window and I used painter's tape to seal the seams between the wood and the wall and windowsill. Eric silently watched me and didn't say anything at all until I asked, "Will this do?"

He still didn't look very happy, but I had no idea if it was his new temporary home he didn't like or if it had to do with Pam. The man drove a car worth more than I made in two years combined, so I hesitantly said, "I'm sorry if it's not up to your usual standards, but it's only temporary."

He came to stand directly in front of me and waited until I looked up into his eyes to say, "Why do you automatically assume I am displeased? You rescued me from what would have likely been my true death. You've fed and bathed me. Taken me into your home when you could be hurt if you were found to be harboring me – when any other human would've likely staked me on the spot. Or at the very least, left me to die in chains. Do you really think I am so ungrateful that I would be critical over having a clean bed to rest in when the best I would be able to manage, had I gotten free on my own, would be a hole in the ground?"

"Not when you put it that way," I mumbled. My eyes dropped back down to my feet, suddenly feeling too close to Eric. Not _physically_ too close, but it felt like if I lingered for too long we might have a moment.

_The kind of moment I shouldn't be wanting to have since he was with Pam._

I didn't bother asking him what was bothering him then since it must have been his worry for her and thankfully Tina chose that moment to walk in and break the tension. She made her approval of him known by weaving in and out of his legs and purring up a storm before she led us back downstairs where I pointed out where the TV and my pitiful DVD collection were to keep him entertained. After the long day I had and feeding him my blood, I was wiped out and apologized again for leaving him to his own devices, knowing I desperately needed some sleep.

As tired as I was, I still managed to wake up once during the night. I could've sworn I saw Eric standing just inside of my doorway looking at me, But when I sat up and rubbed my eyes, about to ask him if he needed anything, by the time I looked back there was no one there and figured I must have been dreaming.

The next day I woke up around ten and saw Jason's door was shut, so I put a rolled up towel along the bottom of the door just in case. I had no clue what any amount of sunlight would do to a vampire and didn't want to find out the hard way. After I took a shower and got dressed, I headed out to WalMart and got some jeans and t-shirts for Eric because the sweatpants he was forced to wear were a little on the short side, so I got the longest inseams they had. I felt myself blush perusing the men's underwear, but they didn't carry the same style he'd been wearing when I found him. So I just picked the briefs closest to them and hightailed it to the register, all the while feeling like I was a teenager about to buy beer with my fake ID.

_As though the cashier would know I was buying everything for a vampire who wasn't my boyfriend and yet I knew what size underwear he wore._

_And that they were itty bitty and red._

I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts and then again when I heard the cashier's – my boobs had to be fake – _they weren't_ – and then headed to Merlotte's. I'd been so anxious to get to Rene's hateful sermon that I'd forgotten to pick up my paycheck, but it was the perfect excuse for me to go in on my day off. I'd wracked my brain all morning long for an excuse to buy the cases of Tru Blood from Sam and the best I could come up with was telling him that I wanted to keep them like collector's items since no one carried them anymore.

_Lame, but if he questioned it too much I wasn't above distracting him with my very real boobs._

I waved hello to all of the familiar faces when I walked into the bar and headed back to the office where Sam was sitting at his desk. And I internally high-fived myself when his eyes lingered on my cleavage before making their way to my face. I was just about to ask him about the Tru Blood when Dawn walked in to stow her purse before the start of her shift and I caught Sam thinking, _'I smell vampire.'_ I froze and strained to listen to him as hard as I could because I'd only ever been able to read his thoughts sporadically at best, when I heard him think, _'I heard Sookie went to Rene's meeting last night, so I doubt it's her. Must be Dawn.'_

I hurried up and grabbed my paycheck from where it was stapled to the schedule, saying a little too brightly, "Just picking this up!" and ran out of the office before it was just the two of us in there. I'd planned on getting lunch while I was there, but that seemed like a bad idea now, so I just headed home while wondering how in the heck Sam could _smell_ a vampire on me. Eric hadn't smelled like much of anything until he'd cleaned up and then he'd just smelled like my shampoo and bubble bath.

I made a quick sandwich and cleaned up after myself while Eric's new clothes ran through the washing machine. I folded and stacked them outside of his door once they were dry before sprawling out on the couch to pass the time by reading one of my guilty pleasure romance novels. I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep until I woke up and opened my eyes to see the sun had gone down and Eric was standing over me in his new clothes.

"They fit okay?" I asked, while trying to shake the sleep off.

"Yes."

The way he was staring at me was starting to make me a little uncomfortable. Not because he was scaring me. Quite the opposite actually.

_He looked like he wanted to devour me and it kinda made me want to let him._

_I was such a bad Christian._

I was about to offer Eric his dinner and pick his brain on how Sam would've been able to smell him on me when his head whipped towards the front door just as I heard barking outside. I hurried up and ran to the door thinking Tina had invited trouble to follow her home, but felt better seeing it was just Dean. He hung out around Merlotte's once in a while and was too friendly to be feral, but I didn't know who he belonged to. I was just about to walk out and pet him when Eric defensively put himself in front of me, making Dean growl and show his teeth.

"It's okay Eric," I patted his back. "It's just Dean. He hangs out where I work."

Dean's growl only grew more menacing, with him hunching down like he was preparing to strike, and it made me wonder if he'd been trained to attack vampires. So I was even more surprised when Eric growled himself, saying, "That's no ordinary dog," just as they leapt for each other's throats.

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter Six

**DISCLAIMER: You know the drill. She gets the checks.**

Chapter Six

**EPOV**

My fingers had miraculously grown even more during my daytime rest. And while it had been enough for me to be able to dress myself, they weren't quite long enough to securely grab onto the mutt's fur, so I used what strength I had regained instead to pin him in between my hands. I suspected he'd been hired by Lanier to track me and had every intention of taking out all of my frustrations on the filthy shifter, relishing the sound of every yelp, whine, and cry that came from his muzzle.

I needed the outlet fighting would provide to make up for the fact that no matter what I'd done the night before, Sookie's eyes only held pity for me. The lust she'd shown for me at our initial meeting was gone and for the first time in my life, I felt inferior – like I was less of a male. She'd seen me rip a vampire's head from his shoulders and then was there to witness me not even being able to turn off a fucking faucet on my own.

_It was demeaning._

_It was humiliating._

_And the person I wanted to pay for it wasn't there, so the shifter would have to do._

I'd spent half the night pathetically standing in her bedroom doorway just watching her sleep, at first telling myself it was just because I was trying to figure out what she was. Her blood was too good to be pure human, but there was no way for me to know for sure and no real clues to help me solve the nagging it caused in the pit of my gut. Her bedroom was rife with her scent and I inhaled it like a drug, trying to pick apart the different nuances until I was left just as clueless as when I'd first walked in. But it made no difference. I continued to do so merely because I enjoyed it.

When she woke up and found me standing there, it was probably the only way other than sunrise that would get me to leave her room. And as I lay there in the bed she'd put fresh linens on, in the room she'd made light tight just for me, I felt completely and utterly defeated – even more so than when I'd been chained to the table she'd found me on. The look in her eyes – or rather the lack of expression I'd hoped to see – when she'd undressed me had been more tortuous than losing my fingers one by one. Yes, she was nervous, but that I attributed to her refreshingly innocent demeanor. I'd already known she wasn't like the fangbangers I'd grown accustomed to and yet giving her license to do with me as she pleased – an offer no other human had ever been given – she merely bathed me. She showed none of the desire I'd hoped for – expected – and instead looked relieved she wouldn't have to see what her hands were cleaning underneath the bubbles. _That_ I surmised was likely for the same reason she'd refused my blood – another offer no other human had ever been given.

_She thought me weak._

What burned more was the fact I agreed with her. In my debilitated condition I wasn't a suitable protector for her. Even a Were would be better than me at the moment, but I had to offer. I had to try because no matter what, I would be forever indebted to her for one simple fact.

_She'd saved me._

On the night we'd first met, I'd likely saved her life too. But her actions held more weight than my own because Malcolm and his nest mates were no match for me. _My life_ had never been in any danger, but Sookie not only risked her life by coming to me when Lanier could've shown up at any time. She'd freed a starved vampire who, as far as she knew, would see her as nothing more than a meal. And now she'd invited me into her home when she would be all alone. She'd given me shelter without asking for anything in return. She'd fed me again by practically forcing her uniquely appetizing blood into my mouth. And she had even gone so far as to trust me enough to fall asleep without shutting her bedroom door – much less locking it – even if it wouldn't have made any difference.

Of course she didn't stop there and had managed to surprise me yet again. I rose to find new clothing meant for me, freshly laundered and stacked outside of my door, when I knew she didn't have much money to spare. But all of that paled in comparison to the one offer I hoped I could refuse and yet knew I would not.

_She wanted to help me locate and free my child._

She would've already seen the violence our captors were capable of, so she knew it would be dangerous. And I would do all that I could to keep her safe, but her gift would be too useful to reject her proposal and there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to get Pam back. Even now I could feel my fangs already elongating inside of my gums, so I could only surmise I would be at full power in just another day or two. Be it from my age or Sookie's unique blood, I didn't know. But Pam wouldn't be left to suffer for much longer.

The sound of Sookie screaming my name broke me from my thoughts, making me realize I had the mongrel pinned underneath me with my hands choking the life out of him. It was only seconds later when his own weakness made his ability to maintain his shift too much to bear. Within moments I was suddenly on top of a scrawny man, with a wiry build, and it was enough to cutoff Sookie's screams. So in the ensuing silence I could clearly hear her whisper, "Sam?"

"You know him?" I snarled.

It only made his association with Lanier all the more plausible, but she was quick to add, "He…he's my boss."

One would think she would've heard his thoughts pertaining to his involvement with the Fellowship if she were around him on a daily basis. But hearing her surprise I released his throat and stood up – now that it was clear I was the stronger of us both – and decided to get answers from him first before sending him to his death.

"Who sent you?" I growled down at him.

"No…no…nobody," he sputtered, trying to get air back into his lungs. "I came to check on Sookie."

Keeping one eye on him, I turned the other towards her, asking, "He does this often?"

I didn't care for the thought of stray shifters keeping such a close eye on her goings on, but from her expression I gathered he didn't. "How…" she asked confusedly making me realize she had no knowledge of shifters and therefore likely Weres as well.

It only made me assume she didn't know _she_ wasn't fully human either, so that mystery wouldn't be solved any time soon, but I explained, "He's a shapeshifter. He can take the form of any animal. You did not know?"

I would've thought his own thoughts would've given away his secret, but she was already shaking her head as she softly answered, "No…I…I try to stay out of his head and it's normally hazy at best anyway." But when he sat up, her shock morphed into anger as she stomped towards him furiously asking, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

The mutt had the courtesy to look chagrined while he muttered, "I didn't want it to freak you out. What was I supposed to say? _By the way Sook, you know that dog you pet out back sometimes? That's me!_ You probably would've thought I was crazy."

I was surprised actual fire didn't shoot out of her eyes given her livid expression and I felt gratified at having already guessed the reason why when she confirmed, "You mean like how everyone thinks _I'm crazy_? You! You of _all people_ should've known better. _You've_ known about my disability for _years_ and instead of _trusting me_, or thinking how much better I might feel knowing I wasn't the _only one_ with something to hide, you just left me out in the cold. Thanks _a lot_ Sam Merlotte!"

In his flustered state he returned her anger by spitting back, "Is _that_ why you're with a _vampire_? Because you're _lonely_?"

I think she surprised even herself when the sound from her slapping his face rang out into the night, but not trusting him to not hit her back, I quickly put myself in between them. It hardly made a difference since she struggled to lean around me, with my arms barely managing to keep her behind my body, as she yelled back, "Don't you _dare_ speak to me that way! You know better than anyone else I'm not like that! And just because _you_ never had the balls to ask me out doesn't give you the right to judge _me_ for who I choose to spend time with. No matter _what_ my relationship with Eric is, it's _none of your business_!"

_Sadly, I hoped he would ask her to clarify what 'our' relationship was because I was dying to know._

I didn't get my wish though because he stupidly followed up with, "And what would _your Gran_ think if she knew you were _shacking up_ with a _vampire_ while she was away?"

Sookie let out her own impressive growl and redoubled her efforts to fight against my hold, managing to slide down my body enough so that she could kick him, as she snarled, "I think she'd whoop you with a switch for suggesting any such thing and then haul your ass to the pound!"

I'd been morose and hostile – nearly since I rose – hell, nearly since she'd first rescued me. But Sookie had managed to make it all disappear in one foul swoop and now that I knew he wasn't a real threat to either one of us, I found myself laughing out loud. I turned my back to him, lifting her still struggling body into my arms, and carried her up to the porch, saying, "Perhaps if she just got him neutered he would be better behaved."

Her struggling was drastically reduced until she was only fighting off her grin, but she couldn't stop herself from snickering out, "It would serve him right if she did."

"Sookie!" The sound of the mutt's voice caused both of us to make identical frowns and I considered killing him for merely making her smile go away. But unaware of his impending demise he moved closer to us, saying, "He's _dangerous_. You don't know what the Supernatural world is like – what _vampires_ are capable of, chere. I'm only trying to look out for you."

Undeterred and ever defiant, she rolled her eyes and pointedly looked upwards, replying, "Yeah, well I'm trying not to _look_ at all of _you._ So would you mind putting some clothes on?"

When he mumbled he didn't have any with him, she told him where he could find a pair of her brother's sweatpants on top of the dryer on the back porch. And as soon as he returned to find her sitting next to me on the couch, he opened his mouth again, but she held up her hand and declared, "Stop! I've known Eric for a while now and I know full well what he's capable of. He's already saved my life once and I have no doubt he would've killed _you_ if he thought you were a threat to me, so just get over yourself already and quit talking to me like I'm a child."

He folded his arms across his chest and glared down at me – trying to intimidate me, but directed his questions at her asking in rapid fire, "Who did he save you from? And why is he here? What does he want from you? Is it your telepathy? Is he blackmailing you? _Threatening_ you?"

"Gee," she said sarcastically and ignored every one of his questions, instead going to the root cause of them in her mind by adding, "I guess those are the _only_ reasons a guy as good looking as Eric would want to darken _my_ doorway, huh?"

_No, but at least now I knew she still found me 'good looking'._

Even hearing his imbecilic and hostile inquiries, I was still amused by Sookie's antics, but I found myself glowering back at him when she followed up with, "Funny, considering you couldn't tear your eyes away from my boobs this afternoon."

The shifter managed to blush almost as much as Sookie, but he ignored her taunting while not denying it and said, "_That's_ why I'm here."

"Because of my _boobs_?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. But when her eyes briefly flicked towards me, it made me realize the low growl rumbling through the room was coming from my throat.

"No! Because I smelled a vampire when you and Dawn were in the office, but I figured it came from her since I knew you went to Rene's thing last night. But when I was standing next to Dawn later on, I didn't smell it anymore and realized it must have come from you. I was worried about you."

I recognized the name Dawn from Sookie's line of questioning when I'd been driving her home on the night we'd met. Now knowing she was a telepath, I had to surmise from her stuttering explanation she'd _seen_ me in this Dawn's thoughts, but I had no way of knowing if it had repulsed her or led her to believe there was something more to whatever she'd witnessed.

_Perhaps that was why she'd acted aloof the night before?_

A false impression was something I could easily deal with and a much more suitable option than trying to overcome any distorted opinions she might have formed seeing me in my weakened condition. But it was only then that I realized where my train of thought had led me to.

_I wanted her to be mine._

I quickly shook those thoughts away while Sookie and the mutt continued to bicker. Pam was – and should be – my priority. I was grateful for everything Sookie had done for me and I would find a way to show my appreciation, but I couldn't afford to entertain the notion of pursuing her. I didn't _do_ relationships – I fucked and fed – and from what I knew of her so far, I suspected that would not be enough for the intriguing telepath. The novel she'd fallen asleep reading told me as much. She subscribed to the human notions of love and romance – and regrettably, it was probably the only thing I couldn't give her.

_But if she wanted to fuck me, I certainly wouldn't deny her._

"I don't like it," the mongrel grumbled, as though _he_ was a vampire telepath, and drew me back into their conversation. "You know how everybody in town is. It's dangerous for you to have him here."

Sookie stood and walked over to the dog, placing her hand on his slumped shoulder and said, "I'm not asking you to like it, but _as my friend_ I'm asking if I can count on you to keep my secret."

_If not, he wouldn't have the chance to tell anyone. The convenience alone of having a cemetery next door would make it a simple matter to take care of._

My irritation returned seeing the sappy look in his eyes as he stared back at her. Romance – and maybe even love – was undoubtedly something he wanted with her and _could_ give her. And I wanted to rip him to shreds for it, but all he said was, "Of course I'll keep your secret chere. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

His eyes darted over to glare in my direction and I returned it – albeit for different reasons – but Sookie took a step to the side to put herself in between us and asked, "So…can I buy those cases of Tru Blood from you that you have in the storeroom?"

Again, she was offering to spend money I doubted she could afford and I made a mental note to bring up repayment for her services later on when we were alone. Meanwhile the dog huffed out a, "No," and just as her body tensed to argue with him, he put his hand up to stop her and added, "You can have them for free. I was planning on writing them off anyway. It's not like I expect we'll be getting any vampire customers anytime soon."

My irritation turned into white hot possessive fury watching her throw her arms around his scrawny body and seeing him inhale what I knew to be her incredibly sweet scent made my re-growing fangs itch to tear out his throat. She wasn't mine, so it shouldn't have bothered me and seeing her have such high regard for a shifter should've only served to make her less attractive in my eyes.

_And yet it didn't._

I'd wanted her from that very first night, but now – now when I owed her more than I could possibly repay in her lifetime – now when I knew how unselfishly courageous she was, I wanted her more than almost anything.

_But my child had to be my priority._

My attention never wavered from the two of them and I listened as Sookie promised to stop by the following afternoon to get the swill from the dog before we gave each other one final glare and he begrudgingly left. When she returned to her spot next to me on the couch I grimaced smelling his foul odor on her, but ignored it in favor of asking, "Are there any other suitors I should expect to come calling this evening?"

Her blush was magnificent and I found myself slightly leaning towards her as she replied, "No, and Sam's not a suitor. He's _my boss_."

"He wants to be more than just _your boss_," I volleyed back.

She waved her hand dismissively and didn't deny it, only saying, "Whatever. The fact remains he's my boss, so nothing's gonna happen there. Besides, even now that I know why he's harder for me to hear, all bets are off when I touch him just like any other regular human. When I was hugging him just now I heard him think that he hopes Rene doesn't find out you're here, so I think our secret is safe."

Her ability was fascinating and I felt a little better knowing the mutt wouldn't be telling tales, but what caught my attention more than her words was her defeated tone of voice. I hated inquiring but couldn't stop myself from asking, "If you wanted to be with him, couldn't you just find another job and use your shields when you…touch him?"

"No," she muttered uncomfortably and then changed the topic by saying, "I was going to pick your brain tonight on how Sam would've smelled you on me today. I heard him think it when I picked up my paycheck this afternoon, but now that I know why, I'm curious. Are there other Supernaturals besides vampires and shapeshifters?"

I wanted to go back to our previous topic because her admission of being able to clearly hear thoughts whenever she touched someone was leading my mind down a path I wouldn't have guessed possible – not with how kind and beautiful she was. While one of my first impressions of her was that she was an innocent, at the time it had nothing to do with her virtue, but now I couldn't help but wonder. It even put her reactions from the night before in a whole new light.

_Was Sookie a virgin?_

Her inquisitive expression reminded me she waiting for my answer, so for the next few hours I explained all that I knew about the different types of Supernatural beings out there. And it only took as long because of all of the questions she asked. She was so unlike the humans I'd been surrounded by – bright, respectfully curious (she immediately connected the dots in asking about the mechanic I'd contacted to fix her car and the Hotshot community), but most of all she was accepting. Instead of being repulsed or fearful, she was eager to meet each and every kind and even felt bad for shifters like her friend for having to hide what they were. There had been talk amongst the Were community on eventually revealing themselves to the human population and if the world was full of Sookies then they would have no problems. But given the backlash vampires now suffered thanks to Area 9, the idea had been scrapped for the time being.

When our conversation was done she left the room to get a drink, but when she returned with a glass of tea, she also held the paring knife from the night before in her other hand. Just remembering what she'd tasted like was enough to make my fangs throb, but we both startled at the sound of them actually clicking down. My tongue immediately ran over the tips and while they weren't fully regrown, they were much longer than should've been possible. So my eyes automatically went back to who the likely culprit was for them to be that way.

Sookie smiled back at me shaking her head in wonder saying, "That's really something. You all heal so fast."

Even though I knew she wasn't completely human, I didn't want to upset her by telling her of my suspicions when I didn't know what else she could be. Although given her taste, I suspected she was part Fae because nothing tasted as good as a fairy. Instead I thought of easing her into the concept by admitting, "We don't. Not from injuries like the ones I suffered."

I held up my hands staring down at my fingers, already more than a third of the way regrown, and added, "I suspect it is due to your blood."

"But that's what you said last night," she argued. "You needed _human_ blood to heal and get your strength back."

"_Human_ blood, yes, but I've had to regrow fingers before. It took _weeks_ on a diet of purely _human_ blood."

"But…" she paused with her eyes locked onto my hands. "But it looks like you'll be as good as new in just another day or two."

I waited until her eyes met mine before agreeing, "Exactly."

"So what are you saying? Are you implying I'm _not_ human?"

_Yes, she's very bright._

"Exactly," I repeated.

Sookie waved me off dismissively once again and sat down next to me, saying, "I think I would know if I wasn't human, Eric. You're obviously delirious from hunger."

She took the knife to her wrist, but I stopped her before she could make the cut and said, "I think I can manage on my own and it will hurt you less if I do it."

_Not to mention it would be more pleasurable for both of us._

I moved closer to her side and held her wrist to my mouth, pausing to inhale her intoxicating scent. Even the lingering odor of the mutt didn't do enough to ruin Sookie's naturally enchanting aroma underneath it and more than just my fangs throbbed, while I licked over her vein to numb it in preparation for my bite. Sookie sat there amenably while I tended to her wrist, but when she shifted slightly in her seat, the movement released the scent of her arousal. My eyes locked onto hers while I willed myself to not take things further, but hoped all the while she would make the first move, as my fangs finally slid into her vein.

She gasped, but I knew it wasn't due to any pain she felt because her eyes gave away her lust. My fangs were just long enough to breach her skin and instead of pulling from her vein, I kept my lips sealed over the wound. Allowing each beat of her heart to fill my mouth with her blood instead. I selfishly wanted to savor the experience – savor her flavor – because I suspected once I was fully healed she would expect me to drink nothing but the synthetic blood she would be getting from the shifter. Of course if I was fully healed, then there would also be no reason for me to continue staying with her, so I took my time feeding from her knowing all too well that all good things must come to an end.

It would be easy to get lost in her taste and inadvertently drain her, but I monitored her heart rate and when I knew I'd taken enough, but not so much that it would leave her weak, I ran my tongue over the two puncture marks to stop the flow of blood. When her wrist was licked clean I pierced the tip of my finger and rubbed my blood over the wounds until they disappeared before releasing her arm and saying, "Thank you."

It had been a while since I'd fucked anyone. In fact, the last time had been on the night before I'd first met Sookie. There hadn't been time for frivolous fucking when I rose the following evening thanks to the massacre in Dallas and truth be told, whenever one of the women at my club blatantly tried to get my attention, I would end up comparing them to Sookie and become disgusted by them. How ironic that I had her here with me now and still couldn't fuck her.

_I really needed to stop thinking about fucking._

Even though Sookie was just as aroused as I felt, she made no move towards me and instead leaned away from me. Slumping against the armrest and taking a sip of her tea, she asked, "Have you felt any more from Pam?"

_Yes, Pam. The reason I couldn't afford to cloud my head with all things Sookie._

A part of me was always concentrated on her, so I didn't have to think when I answered, "Yes. She's still fearful, but not in a way that she's in imminent danger. She's pissed, but that's second nature to her. And she's uncomfortable, but not in any true pain. I'd been blocking her from feeling my own pain for the week I was held captive, but I opened up my side of our bond to her last night so that she could feel I am getting stronger and my own discomfort is gone. She feels hopeful and she'll deduce that I'm free and knows me well enough to know that I'll be coming for her."

"That's really nice," Sookie replied with an oddly rueful smile. "To have someone who loves you enough to go through hell or high water to get you back."

Her use of the word 'love' only served to remind me why I shouldn't pursue her. Even as close as Pam and I were, 'love' wouldn't be the correct word to describe our relationship to one another. But Sookie wouldn't have any other frame of reference without being a vampire herself, so I merely said, "There is nothing that would stop me from freeing her."

She nodded her head, but seeing her stare down at her now unmarked wrist, I recalled what she'd said about touch amplifying thoughts and asked, "I know you've said you can't hear vampires' thoughts, but does that change when you touch us?"

I didn't think it did or else she would've heard everything I wanted to do to her, but another rueful expression came onto her face as her eyes looked to mine when she sighed, "No. It's nice actually – peaceful – to be able to touch someone and not hear everything going on in their head."

In my one thousand years it was the first time I'd ever heard the word 'peaceful' used in conjunction with the touch of a vampire, but I was even more surprised when she added, "It's too bad everything is so dangerous for you all to be walking around in public now. Who knows, I probably could've found a nice vampire boyfriend at your bar."

_Over my finally dead body._

Instead of giving voice to my irrational thoughts, I only offered, "Surely the thoughts of someone who was actually worthy of you wouldn't be offensive. And you wouldn't be able to have children if you were with a vampire."

She laughed without humor and replied, "Well, if you happen to come across Mr. Perfect, you point him in my direction because I certainly haven't met him yet. And besides, I love children but I've always known I wouldn't have them. I wouldn't want to play Russian roulette on the off chance they'd get my curse."

Her taste; her scent; her overwhelming acceptance of the Supernatural world and her mindset all combined to make her the perfect vampire companion.

_Perhaps I'd been hasty in my earlier assessment of not pursuing her._

Up until now _romance_ might as well have come with a heartbeat and a vagina, but I couldn't deny my possessive feelings toward her. If I didn't pursue her that would leave her free to form romantic attachments to filthy shifters and _that_ I could not have. The distraction alone imagining who could be touching her each night would make freeing Pam all but impossible because instead of strategizing her escape, I'd be formulating Sookie's would-be pursuers' deaths.

However I lost the opportunity to discuss anything further with her when she yawned wide enough to make her eyes water and she apologized for being so tired before going to bed. In the remaining hours until sunrise I made a mental list of the vampire in my fealty I would contact when I was fully healed in order to help me free my child. But when that was done I found myself once again pathetically standing in her bedroom doorway watching her sleep. Only instead of feeling like less of a male for showing her my weakness, I wondered if I could be man enough to give her what she would likely want in a relationship.

It was the last thing on my mind when dawn took me and the first thing on my mind when I rose, but that only lasted until I recognized Sookie's scent engulfing me and felt the heat of her body pressed against my side. I looked down without moving to see her head resting on my chest and could tell by her slow steady breaths she was asleep. But the scent of her dried tears and her mere presence in the bed distracted me enough that I didn't hear any noise until the bedroom door opened. And a second later an unfamiliar voice rang out into the pitch black room.

"Sookie Stackhouse!"

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine because I wouldn't have given Alan Ball the rights to kill my storyline, but I'll try to be wittier from here on out.**

Chapter Seven

**SPOV**

_"Sookie Stackhouse!"_

I couldn't have been asleep for very long, but I'd been so upset over what I _heard_ when I stopped by Merlotte's that my first thought had been to go straight to Eric's side as soon as I got home. It was stupid considering I knew I couldn't wake him up, but I didn't want to be alone and selfishly knew I could at least have a one-sided hug. Comforting hugs for me were about as common as leprechauns in Louisiana. So even if he hadn't been the only one at home, the fact was Eric was the only one I could touch without being overwhelmed by thoughts that weren't mine.

_And mine had been bad enough._

But hearing my brother's voice echo into the room and feeling Eric's body tense next to mine, while his chest began to rumble – a precursor to an ass whoopin' from what I'd come to learn from Sam's visit – I did the first thing I could think of.

_I flung my body on top of his and wrapped myself around Eric, like I was a koala and he was a leafy eucalyptus tree._

"It's just my brother Jason," I said quickly, hoping to keep Eric from going all 'When Vampires Attack' on my one and only sibling.

"Yeah, it's just _your brother_," Jason stupidly confirmed, like I wouldn't know who he was. "Now who's this fella you got in _your brother's bed_?"

"Jason Stackhouse!" I huffed out. "You haven't lived in this house since you turned eighteen. It's not _your bed_ anymore!" Never mind that I completely ignored the 'fella' part of his question.

_Eric was the elephant in the room that I didn't want to discuss._

"That ain't answerin' my question," he huffed back and when I turned to look at him, he'd crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a '_Well?_' look to go with it.

_Nope. Not discussing it._

Jason was pretty simpleminded so I hoped to distract him by asking, "What are you doing here anyway?"

He must have had his Wheaties for breakfast because he was in rare form when he said, "Still ain't tellin' me what to call this guy other than 'Get off my sister, mister.'"

_Good lord…_

His voice had dropped an octave on the tail end, not knowing he had no hope of intimidating Eric, but I flamed bright red when it was Eric who replied, "It is your _sister_ who is on _me_. Not that I mind…"

_Ugh…I knew I was forgetting something this morning. Church!_

It was hard to decide whether or not saving Jason's life just a moment ago was a good or bad thing, but I quickly hopped up and off of Eric, telling Jason, "He's just a friend of mine. Don't you worry about who he is and you keep your big yap shut about him. I'll put a hurtin' on you if I _hear_ otherwise."

"Looks to me like he's a _good_ friend," he said knowingly (because Jason had more than his fair share of _good_ friends), "but it's not like I'd go tellin' people I found my baby sister in _my bed_ with some guy. Still don't see why you won't fess up to who he is though. He on America's Most Wanted or somethin'? What if he makes me an uncle? I gotta know whose ass I'm gunnin' for when he leaves ya high and dry with a youngin' to raise all by yourself. We could use the reward money to help pay for it. 'Course my truck could use a new exhaust pipe. Chrome would look _reeaaall_ nice…"

"Jason," I snarled while smacking his head. "Focus! It's not like that. He's not a wanted criminal and who says he'd leave me?" I asked with another smack to the back of his head. And then I smacked him again as I added, "And who says we were doing anything that could make you an uncle? Just because you're willing to whittle your stick in any knot you can find, doesn't mean everybody is up to no good."

I heard Eric's chuckle just as Jason grabbed me in a headlock and he started laughing too while he tried to give me a noogey on top of my head. That is until I swung for his nuts and very nearly made a perfect bullseye, but it was close enough to get his attention. He let go of me to bend over at the waist and tried to get the air back into his lungs while I snickered, "Aww…now I might never be an aunt. God knows you practice with that thing enough."

"Jeez Sook! I was just messin' around. Boy, a guy can't even stop by for Sunday supper without gettin' his balls whacked. What would Jesus say?"

"It's 'What Would Jesus _Do_' moron and he'd probably punish you by making your little buddy there only be able to sit up and take notice around Jane Bodehouse." He turned green at the thought, but I ignored him and said, "You know Gran is on her trip with her club. What makes you think I'd be cooking Sunday supper for you?"

He gestured towards Eric and said, "Well now that you got a man and all, you should know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so shouldn't you be workin' on keepin' him fed? And, you know, if I happen to be here then it shouldn't be too much trouble to make a plate for me too."

_Trust me, you don't want to see what I'm feeding him nor do you want any._

"Knock it off Jason," I said with a punch to his arm. "He's not _my man_. He's _my friend_ and anyhow, he's got a…a _girlfriend_!"

"Does he now…" Jason asked with undisguised anger. He even went so far as to pull up the waist of his jeans like he was getting ready to…what?

_Fight Eric?_

I would've laughed at the thought, but Eric's next words nearly gave me whiplash when I turned to face him hearing his denial. "_He_ does _not_ have a _girlfriend_."

It was pretty obvious Jason had no clue Eric was a vampire and even if I didn't know what the proper term was for a vampire's significant other, I couldn't use it now. So I looked into Eric's eyes trying to convey 'Ix-nay on the ampire-vay ild-chay,' but he only managed to look confused.

_Why couldn't my telepathy be like a two-way radio?_

"So then you're just usin' my baby sister?" Jason asked while – _Lord help me_ – pushing up his sleeves and cracking his knuckles.

_My decision to keep him in the dark over Bill's stalking had been a wise one._

I guess Jason didn't consider how _he_ treated women to be exactly like what he was accusing Eric of and while it was nice he was trying to be a good big brother to me, I preferred him alive. So I pushed him back towards the door and said, "Knock it off. He's not using me. Now go on downstairs and I'll be down in a minute to make you something to eat, alright?"

Hearing he now had a home cooked meal in his immediate future had him straightening up with a smile and he kissed the top of my head, saying, "Knew I liked you for a reason," before skipping from the room. I turned back to Eric and opened my mouth to explain, but before anything could come out we both heard what sounded like a herd of jackasses falling down the stairs. Followed by a single braying jackass laughing out, "M'alright, but watch yer step! One a them's a doozy!"

My eyes rolled so far back into my head I was certain I could see a past life, but they focused on Eric when he snorted, "Are you sure you have the same parents?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "But I think it all went to hell in a hand basket when we were little and Jason tried to have a 'Who can hold your breath the longest' contest with a snapper turtle in the pond out behind his house." Eric laughed at my sadly true childhood anecdote, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he asked why I'd been in the bed with him. Lord knew once he heard, he wouldn't be able to keep his vampire nature hidden. I could practically already see his angry fangs at just the thought, so I followed up with, "Listen, do you mind if we don't tell my brother you're a vampire? He doesn't have anything against you all or anything, but he's a talker and he'd go tellin' everyone he came across. Once he's done eating, he'll get bored and leave."

"I don't know," Eric smirked. "It seems to me like he's gearing up to stand sentry with a shotgun in his hands while the local preacher marries us."

"Don't be silly," I said, while not admitting that exact thought had run through Jason's mind. "Um, what should we say your name is? If he mentions his sister's new friend 'Eric', well then…he works with Rene."

He growled just hearing his name, but that just proved he'd likely do a lot worse when I told him what I'd overheard at Merlotte's earlier. Hoping to get him back on track and out of his vampire killing mood, I offered, "What about Ted?"

"Ted?" he asked, as though I'd suggested 'Bundy' be his last name.

"What's wrong with Ted?"

"I've just never…I don't think I've ever met a vampire named _Ted_."

Again he'd said the name like it was just as foreign to him as Pig Latin eye gestures were. But honestly, it was no worse than _Bill_, so all I did was smile and say, "Exactly. Now, when we go down, I know you can't eat whatever I make, but we'll just tell him you have a stomach bug and that's why you were laying down. Jason won't care because that'll just mean more food for him. Sound good?"

When he nodded, I returned it and said, "Kay, and I noticed earlier that your hands are all better so you don't have to worry about hidin' them. Come on down whenever you're ready."

I hurried out of the room and down the stairs, but I jumped seeing Eric was right behind me. He was still chuckling from startling me when I hissed in a whispered voice, "Make some noise, will ya? Jason's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's watched enough Jackie Chan movies that he'll ask you for ninja lessons."

He adopted a serious expression and took a step back so he could theatrically bow before solemnly saying, "To be a ninja, first one must master the art of descending stairs."

_God he was so perfect…_

I quickly shook that thought away and laughed at the now stomping to make some noise goofy vampire sheriff all the way into the kitchen. Jason was already sitting with a beer in his hands and his eyes trained on the table like he was hoping to magically will the food in front of him. Ignoring my urge to put a helmet on him, I pulled some pork chops out of the fridge and asked him, "So what have you been up to Jase?"

I hardly saw him anymore since I hadn't been working nights and that was when he usually stopped by Merlotte's, so it had been a week since we last talked.

"Eh…a 'lil this, a 'lil that," he replied distractedly.

The only topic Jason loved more than himself was the Bon Temps High School football team – and _then_ only during the years he played on it – so I turned and saw he was trying to stare a hole into the side of Eric's amused face.

"Quit starin' at Er…_Ted_, Jason! That's just rude."

"Ahh…" he said, finally sitting back and adding, "Got a name now, does he? _Teeedd_? Tell me, _Ted_, what do you do for a livin' and how is it you know my baby sister well enough to be snuggled up to her in _my bed_?"

Before I could yell at him for being an ass, Eric spoke up answering, "I have several business interests. I stopped by for a friendly visit and unexpectedly fell ill, so your sister was gracious enough to offer me the use of the room upstairs to lie down. She was merely checking on me when you walked into a house you don't live in and entered a closed bedroom, without having the decency to knock first, before accusing your _baby sister_ of conceiving illegitimate children by a wanted fugitive. I've known your sister for a while now, so I know up until recently she had been working nights at a bar. And now that your grandmother is well again, she'll be returning to that shift, I suspect, because the tips are better. My question for you is if you care so much for your _baby sister_ that you're willing to hunt down a wanted felon –who potentially fathered your future bastard niece or nephew – for the reward money to pay for them as well as your new chrome exhaust pipe – why is it you aren't willing to support the women in your family so they're not left to manage on their own? Why do you so easily accept your _baby sister_ working in an environment just begging for her to be subjected to drunken unwanted advances? Not to mention she has to make her way home all alone in the dead of night in a car that is unreliable at best?"

Given Jason's expression, if I didn't know any better, I would've thought he'd spotted one of those rare Louisiana leprechauns. But even if he'd meant well, my gruff got up hearing Eric's antiquated viewpoint on women in the workforce. Granted, he was older than…well…nearly _everything_, but since he'd managed to shut Jason up I figured I could do the same.

_For now._

I dipped into Jason's head here and there while I made our dinner just making sure he hadn't cottoned onto the fact Eric was a vampire, but after his unexpected tongue lashing he wouldn't even look at him. All he kept thinking about was questioning his own actions and if he should've done more for me and Gran, which only softened me towards him more.

_My brother might be a dunderhead, but he was mine._

Eric seemed to be amusing himself in the silence that followed by trying to stare a hole into the side of Jason's face, so it wasn't until I was putting the plates on the table when Jason finally looked up and asked, "Hey Sook? You all need any firewood? There's a couple trees that blew down over the summer during one a them storms out by my place. I could cut them up and haul the wood over for ya if ya want."

My suddenly glassy eyes looked over at Eric to see a satisfied smile on his face, but I turned back to Jason and said, "That would be great, Jase. Now eat up before it gets cold."

The rest of dinner was filled with Jason catching me up on the latest Bon Temps gossip and doing a poor job over hiding his glee that he would have to eat _Ted's_ portion, so it didn't go to waste since he was sick.

When it was apparent Jason was getting ready to leave – because there were now dirty dishes to do – Eric made himself busy by getting a fire started in the fireplace. That way it put him on the opposite side of the room and kept his hands occupied so he wouldn't have to shake hands with Jason as we said our goodbyes. As soon as he finished, Eric sat down next to me on the couch, so I said, "Jason means well. He's just a little self-absorbed."

"He should do more for your family," he huffed. "As the man it is his responsibility to see to the welfare of the women and any children, _illegitimate_ or _not_."

"Yeah?" I asked and laughed out, "That include _imaginary_ ones?" He smirked back at me, but I still let him have it with, "I'll have you know I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Just because you're old enough you probably had a pet T-Rex growing up, doesn't mean we're still living in the ice age."

"Sookie," he said seriously. "I am not _old enough_ to have had a pet _dinosaur_." When I looked over he was grinning outright as he added nostalgically, "But I do miss my pet dragon…_Fluffy_."

I giggled and pulled on his pant legs saying, "Watch it now. I don't think these are flame retardant, so your pants might go up in smoke if you keep telling tall tales like that one."

"Pull harder," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "You just might be able to meet my _pet snake_ if you do."

"Eric!" I yelled and jumped to the far end of the couch away from him and his _pet snake_. "What would Pam say?"

He only shrugged and said, "She'd likely ask you to pull her pants off instead, only she doesn't have a pet snake. So she would ask you to pet her pus…"

"ERIC!"

He laughed at my mortified expression and doubled over when Tina chose that moment to jump up onto his lap. But I didn't need to be able to read vampire minds to know what he was thinking when he looked at me and started petting her either.

_Stupid dirty vampire._

_I really wished I'd gone to church._

I was still a bit tongue tied, so Eric took advantage of my stupor to ask, "Why did you tell your brother I have a girlfriend? Was it just to make our lie more plausible?"

"No," I said, while stifling the urge to fan my reddened face that had nothing to do with the roaring fire. "I don't know what you all call your significant others, but I was talking about _Pam_."

Eric stared back at me like _I_ was a Louisiana leprechaun and asked, "You think Pam and I are…_lovers_?"

My face somehow managed to heat up even more and I was sure, from the neck down, I was as pale as him since all of my blood had to be north of my shoulders. But all I could do was nod in response.

"Sookie," he said with a soft grin. "Pam and I aren't a couple. She is my child and I am her Maker. _That_ is the extent of our relationship."

"Huh?"

_Who woulda thunk? There was a Louisiana leprechaun right there on my couch and he looked just like Eric._

He continued to smile at me as he said, "Based on the conversation we had on the night we met, I assume you recognized me from your co-worker's thoughts. Dawn, yes?"

My skin continued to burn bright red while I nodded, but he didn't mention it and only said, "I do not remember her, but I can assume what it was you likely…_witnessed_. Given that _encounter_, why would you assume Pam and I are a couple?"

All I could do was shrug and mumble, "I'm a telepath Eric. I've seen enough to know there's no tried and true definition of what makes a relationship work. Open relationships are a lot more common than people think and for all I knew Pam was part of you all's party that night, but Dawn was only remembering the parts with you. I hopped out of her head just as soon as I realized what it was I was seeing."

His expression said he seemed to understand where my confusion came from and even though it was none of my business, I couldn't stop myself from asking, "So…you and Pam…you never? You know…you aren't…you were never…like that? She's so pretty."

_Shut up Sookie!_

His smirk was back as he said, "I never said that. Vampire have many _urges_, especially when we are young. But it didn't take long for Pamela to realize – much like her Maker – she preferred the fairer sex. _We_ have not done _that_ together in a very long time."

"But you turned her into a vampire. You must have had _some_ sort of feelings for her to do that," my mouth with its own mind argued.

_Shut UP Sookie!_

He only shook his head with a smile and explained, "The first time Pamela saw me was when she first rose as vampire. I saw her sneaking across the courtyard to climb back into her bedroom window one night. It was in London during Victorian times and she'd snuck out to meet a boy – something that would've been highly frowned upon at the time given her station, even at the age of nineteen years old. But I felt drawn towards her – an instinctual pull that I acted on and that is why I chose her for my child. Thankfully, my instincts did not fail me. Children normally leave to venture out on their own once they've been released by their Maker, but Pam has chosen to stay at my side for most of her three hundred years. I could not ask for a more loyal child than she."

Everything he'd just told me was frighteningly beautiful – I mean, he _did_ kill her and all, but it was obvious he cared about her. And if she'd stayed with him for so long, I was sure she didn't hold that whole 'you murdered me' thing against him.

But talking about her only brought back why I'd gone to his bedroom in the first place and my tears made a speedy return, prompting Eric to ask, "What is wrong? I hate it when you cry."

I couldn't even manage to smile at his sweet admission and sniffled out, "Oh Eric."

He waited for me to get my bearings and I was eventually able to say, "I went to Merlotte's this afternoon – you know – to get the True Blood." Hoping I could put off telling him for just a few minutes longer, I asked, "Would you like one? I hid them in the pantry."

The disgusted face he made told me his answer before he ever said, "No, thank you. Now, what happened at the bar that upset you?"

Knowing I was out of distractions, I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, "Rene…he was at the bar with some man I didn't recognize, but I could hear in his head…he…he has Pam or at least he knows where she is."

He stiffened at my side and looked murderous, asking, "Who is he? Where does he have her?"

Even though he was angry enough for his fangs to come down, Eric still put his arm around my shoulders to comfort me and I only felt a little guilty for enjoying the contact, but I managed to answer, "Gabe. His name is Gabe and he's, I guess, in charge of the Fellowship soldiers or something. He came into town to meet up with Rene to help prepare for Steve Newlin's visit on Friday. He's…he's one of the ones who were at your bar the night you all were kidnapped. He was the one that drove away with Pam."

"Where to?" Eric growled, but his hand never stopped rubbing up and down my arm.

"Dallas, I think, but I'm not sure where exactly."

He didn't say anything at first, so I gave him the time to process what I'd told him. But knowing that wasn't the worst of it, I ripped off the band-aid and blurted out, "He…he…_likes_ her."

"What?" he asked confusedly. "What do you mean, _he likes her_?"

I really didn't want to have to spell it out for him, but he needed to know the truth – the danger she was in – so I swallowed the newest lump in my throat and answered, "He thinks she's pretty, but she's still too strong for him to try…_anything_ with her. And he's too…too…_man_ enough to tie her down."

It felt like I was starting to hyperventilate, but I needed to get it out so I tried to concentrate on my breathing while I explained, "They…they…they're slowly draining her and only giving her a little bit of True Blood to sustain her. But they know she'll weaken over time and he's hoping when he goes back to Dallas on Saturday that she'll be…she'll be…ready. He…he _wants_ her…_sexually_."

Time seemed to stop – Eric's rubbing hand certainly did – and other than the sound of me swallowing the bile in my throat, the only other sounds in the room were my breathing and the crackling fire. It felt like an eternity passed before he asked in a frighteningly low voice, "He means to _rape my child_?"

"Yes," I whispered while more tears fell down my cheeks. I knew all too well what it was like to have someone force themselves on you and even though I'd never actually been _raped_ it was bad enough. I couldn't stand to think of what would happen to Pam if we didn't get to her in time.

I chanced a glance at Eric and could see the true predator he was just as he asked, "If I were to capture him, you would be able to read his thoughts when I _questioned_ him, yes?"

I had a good feeling Eric's idea of questioning would be a lot more brutal than anything I'd ever seen on Law and Order. But after seeing in his thoughts what Gabe was planning to do to Pam, I didn't feel the least bit guilty in agreeing, "Yes."

_I was almost certain God would understand._

**Whew! That's it for now. And…**

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N: Thanks to all of you that alerted and reviewed. I replied back to as many as I could, but if I missed you or you weren't signed in, know that I appreciate it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just making them lust-y.**

Chapter Eight

**EPOV**

After hearing the future dead man's plans for my child, I concentrated on our bond just to reassure myself she wasn't in any immediate danger, even though I wouldn't have been able to ignore feeling her panic otherwise. But thankfully Pam's emotions were steady. After I'd committed myself to becoming her Maker, I'd dug her out of the grave her parents had laid her in in the first of many ways I planned on taking care of her. While waiting for her to rise in her new vampire state, I swore to myself I would always protect her and I would be there for her in ways my own Maker could never be for me. She would never be subjected to the cruelty and degradation I learned all too well that could be forced upon a vampire by their Master. Nor would she ever have to question whether or not she could rely on me to keep her safe.

_In this situation there would certainly be no exception._

"She's pissed," I said aloud. But seeing I had Sookie's attention, I further explained, feeling somewhat relieved, "It's practically her normal state of being, but I don't sense that she feels as though she's in any immediate danger."

She nodded and replied, "That Gabe guy is in charge and he already made it clear to everyone there that she's his."

"SHE IS MINE!" I roared without thought. But I immediately regretted my actions seeing Sookie cower away from me in fright, while she softly threw out the words, "Of course she is," as a shield.

_As though she felt she needed to be shielded from me._

Before I could say any more she slid off the couch and stood up, as I listened to her heart pounding in her chest. She tried to sound offhand, while my eyes watched her move unsteadily from the room, as she said, "I…I'm just gonna go and clean up in the kitchen."

I immediately followed after her and regretted startling her yet again when she jumped hearing me say from behind her, "I did not mean to frighten you."

"Then you should make more noise when you walk," she huffed out, seemingly more annoyed than anything, while trying to calm her breathing.

Even with her angry tone, I knew underneath it all it was _me_ that she feared and it oddly felt as though I'd betrayed her because of it. She'd already done more for me than I could have ever expected or would've thought possible. So I was sincere when I said, "I am sorry for scaring you, but you never have any reason to be afraid of me." I was the last person who would ever want to see her harmed.

She took a deep breath and looked up at me apologetically, while offering in a softer tone, "It's okay Eric. I know you're just worried about Pam."

That was an undeniable truth and I needed to learn more about her captor, so I forced myself to focus on that instead of the ways I wanted Sookie to feel about me and asked, "Do you know where this _Gabe_ is staying in town?"

My strength was nearly what it was before I'd been captured, so I knew I was strong enough to take on one measly human. Sensing my intent, she answered with a look of caution, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Now feeling annoyed myself, I countered as evenly as I could, "I didn't ask for your _opinion_, just his _whereabouts_." I didn't want to snap at her again, but this was _my child_ we were talking about and I wouldn't leave her there to be preyed upon by the likes of him or anyone else.

Perhaps I'd been too nice because she didn't back down and instead argued, "He's staying with _Rene_. _You know_ – the guy who kidnapped you _the first time_."

"You think I am too weak?" I deduced aloud, with more than just my annoyance shining through, only to see her expression turn fearful again.

However I quickly surmised it wasn't her fear _of me_ but _for me_ when she hotly denied, "No, I don't. But you have understand, this is a _small town_ chock full of scared and hateful people. I guarantee you there's hardly a soul around here who doesn't know that Gabe guy is here for the week and since he's a high fluting member of the Fellowship, _who_ do you think will get the blame if he goes missing?"

_Like I gave a fuck…_

"Sookie, he has my child. I will not leave her there on the off chance he won't be returning until Saturday. Would you leave your brother or your grandmother there for any amount of time, knowing what was in store for them?"

It was a manipulative move on my part, but no less true and considering all that she'd gone through just to rescue _me_, I had no doubts as to what her answer would be. While I could always seek him out on my own and torture him to get my answers, I couldn't rely on whatever he told me to be the truth. Her telepathy was an advantage I needed in order to save time, not knowing if his own orders would be followed by those holding her captive. Or if Pam's own actions in trying to retaliate or escape could cause her final death.

Seeing the answer in her eyes I knew I had her before she ever begrudgingly replied, "No…I see your point, but how? How are we gonna get him away from Rene's? He lives with Arlene and she has two kids. And if we manage to get him, where will we take him to…to _question_ him?"

My first thought was for us to return here with him. While she'd been asleep the night before, I'd gone for a quick check of the surrounding land to make sure there weren't any more love struck shifters lurking about. So I knew there were no houses close by other than Compton's burned down hovel, but doubting she'd want the memories of his death associated with her home when we were through, I offered, "We can take him to Compton's."

There was an oversized shed on the property we could use that had escaped the fire that burned his house to the ground and seeing her nod her head had me adding, "When we're at Lanier's I can glamour the others to not remember us being there, but I will need you to get at least one of them to come to the door so I can glamour my invitation inside from them. I will erase the memories from the rest before taking the leader."

"And you'll leave Rene there? After everything he did?" she asked incredulously.

_For now…_

Pam was my priority, so I nodded hoping it would ease her worry – I assumed for her friend Arlene's sake, But she surprised me once more by arguing, "But he's dangerous too! I saw it! I saw everything in his head. You weren't his only victim. Rene's already killed and raped two women – one of whom was his _own sister_ – just for the _crime_ of keeping company with vampires."

It was my turn to be incredulous when I asked, "You _want_ me to take them both?"

Her eyes dropped to the ground, while she mumbled something about missing church that morning, before looking up at me again and answering, "Only if you think you can handle them both. I don't want you to get hurt again, so if you just want to grab Gabe, I'll understand."

_She'll understand?_

_At least one of us would._

Thinking perhaps she didn't fully comprehend my intent – that her human notions were askew of the realities in being a vampire sheriff – I took a seat next to hers at the table. While I didn't want her to be afraid of me, I had to be sure she knew what was in store for them so that she would be prepared, knowing I wouldn't be able to glamour the memory from her later.

"Sookie," I said softly. "I know that you aren't familiar with my kind and perhaps think my role as sheriff only extends to meting out punishments to other vampire, so I feel I must warn you…I won't be gentle with them because they're human. The injuries I suffered at the hands of Lanier will be nothing in comparison to what I intend to do to the one called Gabe. _He intends_ to violate my child and for that alone his death will be mine once I have the answers I need from him. As for Lanier, I will take him now if that is your desire, but I will be forced to end him quickly. I know from his nightly taunts he was newly inducted into the Fellowship's ranks, so he won't be able to tell me as much as the other. I don't have the time or the resources to do what I'd like to do to him. Freeing Pam is my priority right now."

Her face contorted, both in fear and disgust, as she nodded her head and only said, "Do whatever you feel you have to. I know this Gabe guy is the one you need answers from and I'll do whatever I can to help you get them, but maybe I should've passed on dinner." She offered apologetically, "You might be seeing it again later on."

I felt strangely proud of her, having expected at least some protest on her part, and said as much by admitting, "I am surprised by your acquiescence."

A different kind of fear and disgust took over her face and her eyes dropped from mine as she said, "I know what he plans to do to her. I've _seen_ what Rene's _already_ done. I…I know what that…" She paused and swallowed hard before shaking her head and saying, "They're both monsters. Pam wouldn't be his first victim and I doubt she'd be his last, just like Rene. There's no rehabilitation for people like that. Their deaths will save countless other women from being raped and killed. And if it happens to be a painful death for them, then I'll just consider it justice for their other victims, whether they ever know about it or not."

She truly was remarkable – the perfect mixture of a wholesome girl-next-door and bloodthirsty avenger.

_It turned me on to no end._

Not wanting to linger on those kinds of thoughts, knowing I could get lost in them (and in her if I were lucky) I stood so we could head out. But Sookie had her own ideas, standing as well and saying, "Wait! If you're going after them, shouldn't you eat first?"

Before I could tell her that I felt fine and the Tru Blood would do little more than leave a nasty aftertaste in my mouth, she once again shyly offered me her wrist. Remembering the taste of her blood, now coupled with the feelings of lust I had for both her and our upcoming hunt, made keeping my fangs from snapping down impossible.

My tongue automatically moved to gauge their length – finding them fully regrown just like my fingers – while I tried to rein in all of the urges coursing through my veins. A task made more difficult when she innocently took my hand in hers and marveled at my fingers, saying, "It's hard to believe you didn't have these two nights ago."

'Belief' wasn't the only thing that was hard and she was too tempting. My fingers laced through hers so I could pull her closer, while my other arm snaked around her waist to keep her there as I hoarsely said, "It is your blood. I don't know how or why, but I am sure of it."

She froze as soon as her body was pressed against mine and I could both hear and feel her heart racing in her chest. Were it not for the scent that accompanied it, I might have thought she was fearful again, but alas…that wasn't the case at all.

_She was turned on too._

_And it did nothing to help temper my own urges._

"Eric?" she whispered questioningly.

Using our entwined fingers to raise her wrist up, I ran my nose down the length of her forearm, inhaling her scent like a drug before I whispered in reply, "Yes Sookie?"

_I could absolutely get lost in her._

"Did you…would it be better…I mean, would you like to, um…feed from somewhere else besides my wrist?" she stuttered still whispering, while a blush bloomed onto her skin, only accentuating her already heady scent.

It was me who froze then – _for all of two seconds_ – before she found herself sitting on the countertop with a large horny vampire standing between her legs. Every part of me throbbed, while I looked into her eyes trying to ascertain what it was she was actually offering me. And while she was surprised to find herself in her new position, she broke some of the tension by nervously laughing, "Geez you're quick."

Pushing myself further in between her thighs, I promised, "I can take it _very slow_ if that is what you prefer."

There was no mistaking what I was talking about and she both tried and failed to look affronted, while I tried to talk myself into leaving her house. There were Fellowship fucks to torture and kill, and my pissed off child to rescue. But – as though she'd somehow managed to glamour me – all I could do was let my eyes slowly travel down the length of her body until they rested on her inner thigh where her femoral artery pulsed while I asked, "Where would you like me to feed from Sookie?"

She had to clear her throat twice before she could finally say, "I uh…you uh…I just figured, you know, since I can't offer you a variety in flavor I could at least offer you something different in…_presentation_?"

She'd squeaked out the last word, only reminding me of her innocence, but…she _had_ offered.

_Her idiot brother's voice filled my head saying, "It's what Jesus would do!"_

While her shorts were short enough for me to feed from her upper thigh, I knew my willpower was too short for me to resist being _that close_ to where _that scent_ was emanating from and not taste her there as well.

_It was unlikely Jesus would do that as well._

Instead I started at the top of her head and let my nose skim along her hairline down to her jaw. She'd been ramrod straight until I exhaled softly in her ear, causing her to flinch and then giggle that it tickled, only wiggling her now relaxed body closer to me and pushing at my restraint even more. But as soon as my lips and tongue met her skin her giggles ceased. Her breathing did as well, but it soon picked up speed as I continued to kiss a path down to her shoulder and back again.

I'd been right in my assumption I could get lost in her because I don't know how much time had passed when she eventually sighed out, "Are you…what are you doing?"

Her hands had come to rest on my hips and feeling her fingers flex into my skin made my cock twitch where it was painfully trapped behind my zipper. But I somehow managed to refrain from showing her just how happy my newly regrown fingers could make her and only offered, "I'm choosing the setting for my Sunday supper."

I placed a long lick over the spot I was prepared to bite and watched the goose bumps rise up on her skin, but still she chuckled when she pulled me even closer and said, "It'll be Monday morning brunch if you don't get a move on."

I could feel the heat emanating from in between her thighs and I definitely wanted to get lost in her _right there_, but she was right. It was getting late and there was no time for fucking.

_Well…_

There was time for _fucking_, but if my suspicions were correct and Sookie was indeed a virgin, I'd be damned if her first time would be just a quick fuck.

_Never mind I already believed her probable first time would be with me._

That thought was too much to keep my fangs at bay any longer, so I finally allowed myself the consolation prize of having some part of me slide into her body and bit.

_But the word 'consolation' was grossly misused._

Her moan rang out in chorus with my own as soon as her blood hit my tongue and my hands, which had been firmly planted on either side of her body, moved to encircle her waist. Her legs reciprocated in kind, while her hands slowly glided up and down my back only making me purr just like her cat, but I couldn't muster any anger at my own reaction.

_Her blood was good enough to turn any vampire into a pussy._

I only allowed myself a few sips knowing how much she'd already given me over the previous two nights and before forcing myself to pull away completely, I punctured my tongue to heal her marks with my blood and then licked her neck clean. She stared back at me in a daze, but since she was already somewhat relaxed and more than somewhat turned on, I leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I want you to take some of my blood too."

It would ease my mind being able to feel her and in an effort to get in front of any argument she might have, I added, "Not only would I be able to sense if you were in danger, it will make you stronger as well. If Rene or another of his kind were to find out you helped me and came after you, you would be better prepared to defend yourself if I'm not able to be here to do it myself."

She only thought for a minute before asking, "But…do you really think that's necessary? Nobody knows how you got free or that you're even here. Jason really does think you're my new friend _Ted_ who stopped in for a visit and hopes the next time he runs into you, you don't point out what a crappy grandson he is around Gran."

Thoughts of her brother made me strain to keep from rolling my eyes, but I managed to abstain and merely said, "What about Bill?" Had I known Sookie was a telepath when I had him in Fangtasia's basement, my line of questioning that night would've been very different from what it had been. Having already spent time in her presence his excuse of finding her 'pleasing' – both to the eyes and olfactory senses – was quite believable and he'd hardly be the first vampire to pursue a human for those reasons. He would've likely already claimed her as his had she not been immune to our glamour and it also explained why Sophie-Anne had been so quick to give in to Lorena's demands to release him into her custody.

_And it gave me yet another reason to kill him._

"What about Bill?" she asked. "You said he's sick, so I shouldn't have to worry about him for now."

"Sookie," I began softly, "Bill Compton worked for our queen, Sophie-Anne Leclerq. He was her royal procurer and now that I know about your gift, I suspect it was why he was pursuing you. I have no idea how she would come to know about you, but it's the only thing that explains why he would return to this town. He's made no secret of how it pained him to remember his human life, so this is the last place he would come to willingly."

Her eyebrows crinkled and I stayed my hand, so I wouldn't give in to the temptation to rub them smooth again with my fingertip when she said, "But…but she died, right? I saw it on the news. They burned her house down after she went on TV denouncing what happened in Dallas."

"That is true," I nodded. "But that doesn't negate the fact your gift is very valuable or put you at any less risk. If he didn't keep you for himself, Compton could auction you off to the highest bidder." Her earlier fear made a swift return, but she had to realize how much danger she could find herself in if another vampire were to get their hands on her. My own hands wanted on her as well –albeit for different reasons – and began mimicking her earlier movements, rubbing up and down her back in an effort to calm her, while I reassured, "I will protect you. I would fight them all to keep you safe, but it would be nearly impossible for me to find you unless you take some of my blood."

"Why?" she asked softly.

I felt my own eyebrows furrow, thinking I'd explained very well why she should take my blood, but seeing my expression she followed up with, "Why would you fight other vampires to keep me safe? After talking to both you and Bill, I know you all look at things differently than I do. So if you already think I saved you because you'd saved me, then in your eyes we should be square. Why are you willing to go out of your way to protect me now?"

It felt as though her eyes were seeing straight into my soul and as beautiful as they were, I found myself unable to withstand her gaze. She was courageous, considerate, charming, and clever. Her overwhelming acceptance of not just vampire, but the entire Supernatural world she now knew existed was astonishing all by itself, so even without her gift I'd be a fool to not want to make her mine.

_But how could I make her understand without admitting to her, much less to myself, that after a thousand years – in the span of forty-eight hours – she'd become my weakness._

She seemed to sense my internal struggle because her hand slowly rose to gently cup my face and when my eyes met hers she repeated a whispered, "Why?"

I'd known from our first encounter I was drawn to her, but now it quite literally felt as though there was a magnetic pull between us. I'd bedded countless women in the past – women who at times literally threw themselves at my feet begging for my attention. But none had ever captured my notice the way Sookie did and she hadn't even tried.

_And I was sure it would be pointless to resist her allure, so why attempt the impossible?_

My eyes darted to her lips and back again as I slowly leaned forward, giving her every opportunity to pull back. And I saw it in her eyes when she realized what my intentions were, as well as hearing the evidence of it pounding away in her chest. If my own heart still beat it would've stopped – just like my lips did a hair's breadth away from hers – when she whispered, "Eric?"

_A split second before she closed the distance between us._

Shyly – inquisitively – she placed her lips on mine, hesitating only as long as it took me for the shock to wear off enough so I could return the gesture. Her hand moved from my cheek to the back of my head to hold it in place, while I pulled her body even closer. And when her tongue darted out, sliding across my lower lip, I softly growled my approval and let her in. She explored for a few moments with her tongue moving cautiously – timidly – against my own, lending credence to the idea she was inexperienced. But that thought only made me desire her more and when she stroked my fangs in turn, I could no longer hold back and gave in to my own needs.

I took control of our kiss, wordlessly telling her all of the things I couldn't say. Showing her how much I wanted her, while letting her know a kiss would be enough for now. Whether or not her virtue was intact, I knew Sookie wasn't the type to arbitrarily hop into bed with someone she barely knew and the undeniable fact that I was willing to wait for her told me I was already fucked.

_And again, she hadn't even tried._

My more devious side thought to slash my own tongue against my fang to get my blood into her, but for some unexplainable reason I wanted her to choose to take it instead. So I resisted the urge and when she finally pulled away to breathe, I only allowed enough space between us for the air she now desperately needed and looked into her eyes, softly stating, "_That_ is _why_."

I had no need to breathe and yet I found myself holding my breath, while she stared back at me in silent contemplation. But my anxiety began to ease just as slowly as the smile formed on her lips when she agreed, "Okay."

I was more selfish than selfless, so I quickly raised my wrist – not wanting to give her the opportunity to change her mind – and bit, before putting the open wound to her mouth. A low moan escaped my throat as soon as her lips wrapped around my skin and drew the first mouthful of my blood inside of her. The erotic sensations coursing through me increased with every swallow she made and I couldn't stop myself from grinding my hips against hers, now feeling her own growing lust barreling back at me through our newly formed bond. My head dropped to her shoulder as I gasped in unsteady breaths, pulling her scent into my lungs just as she pulled my blood into her body. And if I'd had more presence of mind, I would've likely been embarrassed for cumming so quickly, but I couldn't have stopped it if I'd tried.

_Not that I tried._

My wound had closed at the same time and she pushed at my already weakened restraint even further by licking the skin clean, So when I was finally able to look up and saw traces of my blood coating her lips, I claimed both my blood and her lips in another kiss. She didn't resist and eagerly gave in while my cock began to stir again tasting my blood in her mouth, but I knew we could take things no further for now. My blood would've heightened her libido – lessened her sexual inhibitions – but I would never claim her body unless _she_ gave it to me willingly, no matter how much I wanted her. So I calmed myself and our kiss before finally pulling away.

Her still panting lips chased after mine, but after a few seconds recognition returned to her hazy eyes, just as her blush returned to her face, and she softly giggled out, "Wow."

"Wow, indeed," I agreed with a smile.

_She had no idea…_

"Does that, um…" she asked, with her eyes quickly darting to the wet spot on my crotch, making her redden even more, and back again as she finished with, "…happen every time you give someone your blood?"

My fingers trailed down her face and I tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears, answering truthfully, "I wouldn't know. You are the first human I've shared my blood with."

Shock came over her face as she asked, "Really? But… Why _me_?"

Her innocence made her more tempting than should be reasonably allowed, but in an attempt to try and maintain some control over the reactions she effortlessly garnered from me, I smiled wickedly at her and asked, "Is this your way of getting me to kiss you again? If it is, you only need to ask."

Sookie gasped full of indignation before playfully swatting at my chest with her hand as she tried to hide her smile, chiding, "Oh, you…"

She could easily keep me entertained night after night for the foreseeable future, but we had other things that could not wait. While I stood there completely spellbound by my unintentional enchantress, my child's fate was hanging in the balance. So I took a step back to clear my own head and said, "We should go."

_After all, there were other ways I could work off my frustrations and I would enjoy them almost as much._

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, etc. and especially to those 'guest' reviewers out there who I couldn't reply to. I'm warning you now there's some minor violence down below.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just giving Rene what he deserves.**

Chapter Nine

**SPOV**

I was grateful for those kisses I'd shared with Eric because I'd unknowingly gotten a twofer out of the deal. Not only was he a great kisser – it was an easy thing to reckon despite my lack of experience in that area – it was thanks to those kisses that I was able to sufficiently distract myself from where we were going and why. However when we pulled up and parked a little ways down the road from Arlene's trailer, with me having driven there on autopilot, I could no longer hide from myself why we were there and I nearly leaned across the console to attack his lips with my own just so I could be distracted some more once I realized this was it.

_We were going to kidnap Pam's kidnapper._

_Both he and Rene would be dead before sunrise._

_Could I really go through with this?_

No matter what my spotty church attendance might lead some to believe, I really did try to be a good Christian, but I believed in my heart both Gabe and Rene were inherently evil. I already knew going to Bud or Andy would do nothing more than make me look like a vampire sympathizer – which I secretly was – and would only put myself in even more danger when they did nothing to stop either one of them. I'd already seen what happened to Rene's victims just for having consensual sex with a vampire, so I could only imagine the horror that would await me if he ever learned I had been the one to free Eric. And while my attendance at Sunday service might have been spotty, I was pretty sure there was a verse in the bible somewhere about 'an eye for an eye', so I hoped to be able to justify my own actions when it was my time to stand at the head of the line outside Heaven's gates.

_Then again, any one of us could probably claim it in our own defense depending on the outcome tonight._

I hadn't realized I was white-knuckling the steering wheel until Eric started slowly peeling my fingers open and then kept my hand in his as he softly said, "If this is too much for you, I can do it on my own."

"No!" I quickly argued, but my denial had nothing to do with my belief in whether or not I could idly stand by and watch him torture and kill two evil men. Over the last few weeks I'd felt myself slowly changing and after everything I'd seen from both Rene and that Gabe guy, I truly believed we were doing the right thing. They had nothing to offer the world except for hatred, violence, and pain and while I would suffer if an innocent life was taken – vampire or human – neither one of them fit that bill in my mind. They were monsters, plain and simple, and I had no illusions their deaths would be easy for me to witness, but _that_ I was already prepared to suffer through. My argument over being there with Eric was because I couldn't stand the thought of him being alone with the two of them, knowing if one of them got free and hurt him – or worse – I would never forgive myself.

"No," I repeated again. Now more sure of myself, I added, "I'll come." Looking up into his eyes I could see some hesitation there, but I wasn't sure what the cause of it was, so I added to my case by saying, "You need me, right? Whatever they tell you could be a lie, but their secrets aren't safe with me around."

My telepathy had been the bane of my existence my entire life, but Gran had always said God had given it to me for a reason and I had a sneaking suspicion this might be it.

_I just wished nerves of steel and an iron gut were a part of the package deal._

Eric seemed to be lost in his own thoughts for a moment, but I already knew that was a battle I just couldn't help him with not being able to read _his _mind. So I concentrated on Arlene's trailer hoping at least Coby and Lisa were already asleep. I hadn't had to use my shields at all over the past couple of days since I'd only been around Eric and Jason – whose thoughts I'd been reading as a precautionary measure during dinner – so it was easy to hear the thoughts of everyone inside of Arlene's home.

"Sookie," Eric said just as I said, "Eric," at the same time. When I looked over at him he gestured for me to continue, so I said, "They're not there. It's just Arlene and the kids inside." I leaned my head out the window and peered around the front, before settling back into my seat and saying, "And his truck is gone too. Arlene's in there hoping they stay in Shreveport for a while because Gabe gives her the creeps."

"They've gone to Shreveport?" he asked when I was through. When I nodded my reply, he asked, "Does she know where?"

My head was already shaking no when I answered, "They just told her they were meeting up with some of Gabe's friends in Shreveport. She's wondering if they're as creepy as him and hopes Rene doesn't invite them over. From the tenor of her thoughts, I don't think they've been gone for very long, so we probably just missed them."

My anxiety over everything had me ready to jump out of my skin and without waiting for him to say anything, I started the car again before turning back onto the road to head towards Shreveport. I'd rather drive around all night long than sit there waiting for them to come back and even if we didn't come across them, they'd have to return home sometime so we could always go back and find them there later on. I used the oddity over being out at night to distract me from our true purpose, with Eric having remained silent until he unwittingly tried to get us into an accident by saying out of the blue, "You will have dreams of me."

The steering wheel jerked to the right, along with my head as it snapped towards the sound of his voice, while I sputtered out an eloquent, "Wh…what?"

_Did he have dream telepathy? Dreampathy?_

How else could he know about my dreams of him? But seeing the embarrassment on my face, he only looked back at me apologetically and said, "It is a side-effect of taking my blood. I should have warned you beforehand so you could make an informed decision, but it only occurred to me just now."

I had already been having dreams of Eric – sexy dreams – long before I ever had his blood. But wondering if they would change now that I'd had it, I asked, "What kind of dreams?"

His regret disappeared and was replaced with a smile as he answered completely unrepentant, "From what I've been told, you will have…_erotic_ dreams of me. You will find yourself more attracted to me – drawn to me."

_Good Lord. If I was drawn to him any more I'd be in his back pocket._

_After all, he had a really nice butt._

My thighs rubbed together, with me squirming in my seat just thinking about it, but his chuckle brought me out of it with him saying, "Perhaps it has already taken effect. Tell me Sookie, what are you thinking?"

I knew he could feel the reaction I had and aside from being aroused, I was embarrassed to be sure. But it wasn't like he'd been any better off when I'd taken his blood. The fact that he was in his second pair of jeans for the night testified to that truth, so I answered dryly, "Why?" Looking over at him with my eyebrow quirked up, I deadpanned, "Are you _dying_ to know?"

I couldn't stop from snickering at my lame pun directed at He Who Has No Heartbeat, but his barking laughter had me laughing out loud right alongside him. He was always attractive regardless of what mood he was in, but to see him laugh so freely, he was truly beautiful. I had a feeling it wasn't something others got to witness often, so I felt proud that I was able to get that kind of reaction out of him.

_And I found myself squirming in my seat again trying to get my own reaction to seeing it under control._

Once we both finally calmed down we continued to drive along in silence, with each of us stealing occasional glances at the other, but I couldn't hide my yawn, even though I tried to behind my hand. So I broke the silence by casually offering, "Well, at least this will help me to sleep in a little in the morning since I have to work my first dinner shift in forever tomorrow night."

Of course I left out the part where I'd be lucky to ever be able to sleep again considering the horrors the night had in store for us, but the steering wheel and my head did that whole jerking to the right thing again when I heard Eric say, "I will pay you for your services."

And just like the last time, I sputtered out a repeated, "Wh…what?"

"I will pay you," he said with his voice hardening. "Ten thousand dollars for your help tonight and another ten for what you've already done. It should be enough so that you don't have to work nights for the more lucrative tips."

"No!" I exclaimed completely affronted. "I didn't rescue you hoping for some ridiculous payday and that's not why I'm here now!" I added feeling insulted.

His voice softened considerably but was still meant to broker no argument as he said, "I never believed that to be the case. _That_ is why you deserve the money all the more and it will help you to live more comfortably. Your gift is a valuable commodity. I would have paid you just as much even if I…"

His words trailed off and ended there, but I gave exactly two figs over his 'don't argue with me' tone and pushed, "Even if you, what?"

_And it had better be a good one if he didn't want to have to walk home._

Apparently stubbornness wasn't a trait I owned outright because he ignored my question and only sniped, "Your immunity to our glamour is aggravating."

"So is your refusal to answer my question," I snapped right back.

"Stubborn woman," he growled.

"Infuriating vampire," I snarled.

We'd just taken the exit for Shreveport and as I came to a stop at the first red light, I turned towards him ready to duke it out in the front seat of my car with a thousand year old vampire. Only Eric had other plans because he grabbed the back of my head and leaned over, attacking my lips with his own. His dirty tactics proved he was the better strategist of the two of us because it worked, with me completely forgetting what we were arguing about until he finally pulled away and kept his forehead pressed against my own, saying softly, "We will discuss it further later on."

I didn't have the chance to argue with him when the light turned green, but I wanted to hearing him mumble under his breath, "But you _will_ take the money."

I put that comment on the backburner to argue over later because I was still trying to gather my wits since Eric's tongue seemed to have scattered them all to points south of my waist, so I had no idea of where we were going and just followed his directions as he told me where to drive. I rarely drove to Shreveport, but had been there often enough to notice the changes once I was finally able to take in the scenery. Many of the businesses had signs posted on their doors or front windows, in some cases politely stating vampires weren't welcome there and in others coming right out and crudely declaring 'No Heartbeat, No Entry'. It sadly reminded me of the Civil Rights Era I'd studied in school that at times still left me feeling a lingering hurt and shame just for having grown up in the south, even though it had all happened well before I'd been born.

Bon Temps was small enough that you knew who the vampire haters were for the most part and since there weren't any vampires left after Bill had been presumed dead, no one went through the trouble of making signs to hang in their windows.

"How long has it been like this?" I asked sadly as we went passed yet another 'No Vamps' sign.

Eric sighed when he answered, "They started sprouting up as soon as the clusterfuck in Dallas made the news. Before that we'd been able to assimilate into the human world relatively peacefully with only the occasional bible thumper protesting our existence."

I didn't agree with the hatred, but I understood the fear behind it and offered softly, "What happened to those people in Dallas was horrible. It was easy for normal folks who were on the fence about vampires to be fearful enough to jump on the bandwagon after seeing what happened. They killed _children_."

He growled softly, but I didn't know what caused it until he said, "Yes, _they did_. The vampires there acted foolishly – recklessly, but it wasn't as though they hadn't been provoked. The majority of vampires around the world condemned them for their actions, but Newlin wasn't without blame. The Fellowship had kidnapped a vampire – a nestmate of Area Nine's sheriff – and held him captive in their _church_ with the intention of sacrificing him in a sunrise service on the morning after the massacre occurred." His voice hardened once more as he said, "Tell me Sookie, how many humans would've been up in arms over seeing a vampire burned to ash for the crime of simply being one?"

I for one would, but I knew I was in the minority. Eric was right. Everyday citizens would have clucked their tongues and shook their heads, but ultimately they would've returned to their lives without doing a damn thing about it. However, I didn't think that made what happened to the innocent people in that church okay, but before I could voice that Eric said, "They overreacted. They should've stormed the church and retrieved their nestmate, leaving the majority of the humans unharmed. They could've glamoured their way in and left without incident, quietly getting their justice against those who deserved it later on. Killing innocent women and children is reprehensible to most of our kind and what's left of Area Nine's vampires have scattered, knowing _we_ will exact punishment against them ourselves for their actions that night."

Since I'd already been witness to Eric's brand of punishment against the vampire who'd licked my face, I could only imagine what he'd do to any of the ones he'd just spoken about if he got his hands on one. But it made me feel better knowing he wasn't okay with what happened to those people too. I just wished people could see that not every vampire was a child killer and didn't condone their actions. But since their queen – and my almost kidnapper – Sophie-Anne Leclerq's televised renouncement of what happened only managed to get herself killed, I already knew that wouldn't be enough to sway the opinions of the public at large.

I was too lost in my own thoughts to pay much attention to where we were until Eric had me pull over and park on a dark part of the street we were on, prompting me to ask, "Where are we?"

There were a few cars here and there, but the area looked mostly deserted, so he pointed at a nondescript door farther down and said, "That is the entrance to the Hair of the Dog. It is a Were bar, but vampire have been known to frequent it as well. It's not known to the human population for obvious reasons, but Lanier and his kind could have intel or simply followed a vampire here. And there aren't any other more obvious places for them to go hunting for one now that my bar is no longer open."

I almost asked why he thought they'd be out hunting vampires, but kept my mouth shut considering, why else would they drive all the way to Shreveport in the middle of the night? I highly doubted they were all sitting in a diner somewhere discussing church politics over a cup of coffee, so I hunkered down in my seat prepared to wait for something to happen.

_I didn't have to wait for very long._

My first clue was Eric's suddenly stiffened posture in the seat next to me so my mind automatically reached out and I barely had the chance to open my mouth to tell Eric I could hear Rene close by when he literally flew out of the open window.

_If he could fly then maybe it wasn't too farfetched for him to have dreampathy too._

I would've taken the time to let my dumbfounded brain work through it all, but Rene's mind wasn't the only one I'd heard. There were four more just like his close by and all of them just as hateful. I didn't know if Eric could handle all of them at once, so I quickly grabbed for my old softball bat that I kept on the floorboard behind my seat and got out of my car as quietly as I could. I couldn't see them, but I knew their general location thanks to their thoughts and hadn't registered the vampire void in addition to Eric's until I heard Rene think, _"There's one."_

In his head I could see a small female vampire with long dark hair, but seeing the fierce expression on her face I thought they were foolish to let her size fool them.

_Her gift could very likely be killing them with nothing more than a look._

I willed my feet to remain silent as I moved them more quickly towards them, all while keeping to the shadows. But I knew Eric was closer thanks to his void and I barely had the chance to register the sound of the female's enraged snarl before the whole lot of Rene and his buddies were shouting. Their thoughts and their words made for a cacophony in my own head, so I couldn't decipher what was going on until I peered out from behind the dumpster I'd gotten behind and a squeaked out protest left my own throat.

Rene, Gabe, and three others had managed to trap the female with a silver net, but they'd left her there on the ground to surround a really pissed off Eric, while Gabe shouted, "I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WAS DEAD!"

Rene had an 'Oh shit' moment thinking he'd be in trouble for lying to Gabe over what had actually happened to Eric and I gathered from his thoughts he'd lied and told him he ended up having to kill Eric so he wouldn't escape. It was why they were in Shreveport that night, looking for another vampire to offer up to Steve Newlin when he arrived at the end of the week.

Eric was truly frightening when he merely snarled lowly in return, With his gaze locked onto the man who intended to do unspeakable things to his child, he mocked, "I _am_ dead, but then so will you be before this night is through."

I was too worried about Eric to process it all once I heard the thoughts of one of the other men who was standing directly behind him, thinking about the wooden stake he had tucked away in his pocket. My feet automatically ran forward – much more quickly thanks to having Eric's blood in my system – with my only thought being I had to get there before he could use it, and I lifted up my bat and swung as hard as I could as soon as I was close enough to make contact. The sickening crunch of his arm breaking made me wince and the bat dropped from my hands, just as the stake dropped from his as he drew his now useless arm to his body. He dropped to his knees crying out in pain, but Eric was merely a blur as he moved too fast for my eyes to register his whereabouts and when he finally came to a halt, we were the only ones left standing.

The other four had been knocked unconscious – I could still sense they were alive thanks to my disability. But I was too busy trying to calm my shaking my hands by wringing them together to pay much attention when Eric hesitantly reached for them and stilled them in his own. When my eyes finally managed to look up into his, I could see the regret behind them as he said, "Thank you. I'm afraid I let my own emotions get the better of me seeing Lanier and the one I assume is Gabe. It seems you have saved me yet again."

His lips quirked up at the corners, but his small smile was more rueful than anything else. However our fisticuffs seemed to have given away our presence. The door to the bar opened, with several people coming out to see what the noise was about, while Eric tore the shirt from the guy I'd taken down and glamoured him to be quiet. Using the cloth to cover his own hands, Eric ignored the gawkers and sped over to the still trapped female, pulling the silver net free from her body.

I'd been right to be afraid of her because she didn't even flinch as the net tore pieces of her skin away with it and she only looked even more enraged glaring down at her attackers. But she seemed to force her own anger back as she nodded towards Eric, saying stiffly, "Sheriff. You were presumed dead."

"Thalia," he acknowledged with a nod. "You should know better than to listen to the gossip of Weres."

That reminded me of what Eric had said about this being a Were bar and thanks to Sam's initial reaction meeting Eric, I immediately started trying to scan their minds to see if any of them were threats. Their thoughts were what I could only describe as being red and snarly, similar to the haziness I got from Sam's head, but I didn't get anything from them other than their shock seeing Eric alive and well. Well, as alive as he was ever going to be, however I was startled from my own thoughts when the vampire Eric had saved was suddenly in my face. with her fangs bared while she inhaled deeply.

Eric was in between us less than a second later with his back to me as he roughly shoved her halfway across the parking lot, snarling, "She is _mine_."

I wasn't sure if he really felt that way due to our earlier kisses or if it was more of a protective measure, but it wasn't like I was going to argue with him about it right then and there and demand specifics.

I barely heard her response of, "She smells tantalizing," over the thoughts of one of the Weres who were all still standing there. He was built quite nicely and his dark hair and green eyes only added to his appeal, but hearing him think I was 'fangbanger trash' had me scowling in his direction with one eye while the other one looked for my dropped bat.

_I'd show him the damage 'fangbanger trash' could do if he didn't watch himself._

Eric's tension lessened when the other vampire made no move towards me and he only said harshly, "Her _scent_ and _everything else_ about her is mine as well." His arm moved to point at the shirtless man with the broken arm as he offered, "Feed from that one. If your fangs ever get near what is mine again, you will lose them. Have I made myself clear?"

Hearing him refer to me as _his anything_ had my feminist thoughts warring with my traitorous body. I was pissed off and turned on at the same time, so when Eric turned enough for me to see his wink and smirk now aimed my way, I knew the jerk felt it.

_Stupid sexy Neanderthal vampire._

Thalia's responding, "Yes sheriff," could be heard just before the vicious sounds of her feeding from the man whose arm I'd broken drowned it out and I quickly turned away so I wouldn't have to see it. Everything I was hearing coming from her feeding from him was nothing like when Eric had fed from me and perhaps sensing my repulsion, Eric moved once more to place himself in between us. I heard the man's body hit the ground with a thud only moments later, but I didn't dare look over because I already knew from the disappearance of his mind that he was dead.

While I still felt nauseated, I couldn't find it within myself to feel too badly for him because he'd not only brought it on himself for what he'd been there to do, but what really sealed the deal for me was the fact that he had intended on killing Eric.

_Let him try and explain his way out of that one to Saint Peter._

I was more horrified by my own non-reaction to it all than the manner of his death itself, but I didn't have time to dwell on it when Eric barked out, "Herveaux."

My eyes caught the movement of Mr. Nasty Thought's green eyes rolling back into his head as he gruffed out, "Yeah?"

"I'm calling in your debt," Eric said, ignoring his attitude. "You will dispose of Thalia's meal and will be available to dispose of the other four when I contact you."

A whole slew of curse words were streaming through his mind, but his face didn't show any of it as he merely huffed, "Fine. Any idea on when that'll be because I have to be in Jackson by tomorrow afternoon."

"Change your plans," Eric replied without sympathy. I might have been a little perturbed over his display of highhandedness on this Herveaux's behalf, but considering I was just _fangbanger trash_, I only smiled at the Were seeing he could no longer hide his annoyance. "You will remain and do as you're told until I no longer have need of you," Eric finished.

At least he had someone new to direct that behavior towards because he had another thing coming if he thought I was going to let him pay me twenty thousand dollars for something I had done for my own peace of mind.

_I would tell him to bite me, but I had a feeling he would be happy to do it. And it would lose its 'comeback oomph' since I'd already learned I would like it._

I quickly folded that thought into a nice little origami bird in my mind's eye and quickly freed it like it was a whale named Willy, hoping it would fly far far away before Eric caught onto the tenor of what I had been feeling thanks to remembering his earlier Sunday supper. But I knew it was too late when he snarled again and that time, the smoldering look in his eyes told me it had nothing to do with him being angry.

_Damn nosy vampire blood. Can't a girl have any privacy?_

His fangs had been down the entire time we'd been there – understandably so given his rage moments earlier, but as Eric turned towards me and slowly started stalking forward like a lion, I had a strong urge to run.

_But I knew that would just make me the antelope in this scenario._

The only thing that kept my feet still was knowing he wouldn't hurt me and I'd seen that same fire in his eyes only a couple of hours earlier. It was the same look he wore after feeding me his blood right before he kissed me again.

_He was turned on._

It was a case of the chicken or the egg – which came first? Was he turned on because he'd felt my twinge of lust or was it something else? Something to do with the fight or all of that possessive _mine_ crap he'd been spouting? Did it really matter considering that look in his eyes was doing a massive amount of damage to both my sense of propriety and my panties?

I didn't struggle when his arms wrapped around me like two steel bands and instead I sunk into him. Lord only knew what else I would've allowed him to do if the sound of Rene's moan hadn't brought me back to reality. But remembering we weren't alone, I tried to get him to snap out of it by whispering into his chest, "Eric."

His hands fisted into my hair and pulled my head to the side, while he leaned down and skimmed his nose along my jaw line to my ear where he licked the outer rim, making a shiver work its way down my spine as he whispered his reply of, "Sookie?"

The man was dangerous – to my moral compass – and my hands were already sliding down his back to do a thorough check of his backside to make sure it hadn't been hurt in the scuffle. But the sound of Rene's appalled voice shouting my name was enough to snuff out the flames of desire Eric had been stoking within me.

As soon as I peeked around Eric and he saw my face, Rene's shock turned into hatred as he spat out, "It was _you_! _YOU_ set that abomination free! You're nothing but a fangbanging _whore_!"

I barely had time to notice Eric's sudden disappearance from my embrace when I found him standing in front of Rene, who now had a newly bloodied lip, as Eric calmly snarled in his face, "You will be more respectful when speaking to my future lover or you will lose your ability to speak at all."

Rene seemed to have forgotten all about me, with his eyes widening now seeing the vampire he'd done unspeakable things to standing freely in front of him. I could see in his thoughts he was remembering every injury he'd inflicted upon my apparent future lover (we would _so_ be having a discussion about _that_ later on) and his eyes traveled over Eric's broad form, looking for signs of any of the damage he'd worn only two nights earlier. His mouth fell open when they came to rest on his hands, seeing all ten of his fingers right where they belonged.

Eric must have guessed what Rene was thinking because he lifted his hands and wiggled those ten fingers in his face, taunting, "You like? I know how much you liked my last set, but I've grown quite fond of my new ones. I'll be keeping them, however…I wonder if you'll like your next set of fingers as much as you like the ones you have now."

I scarcely saw Eric move and Rene only had time to react after the fact by crying out in pain as Eric held up his now detached pointer finger. Using it to jab at Rene's forehead with the bloodied side, he painted it red, as he said with mock sympathy, "Oh…I forgot. Your fingers can't regrow like mine can." Eric shook his head ruefully and clucked his tongue, while Rene continued to cry holding his mangled right hand to his chest. But his next sob got stuck in this throat when Eric said, "Silly me, but now that I've already started, I should probably go ahead and just finish the job to make both sides even, shouldn't I?"

Rene violently shook his head no and then cried out again when Eric suddenly held up two newly detached fingers from Rene's left hand. He sucked his teeth in exasperation, saying, "Oops! I took one too many. I'll just have to even it out."

I couldn't watch anymore as Eric went back and forth, ripping fingers off of each of Rene's hands and pretending to take one too many from each side until there were none left to take. But I had no sympathy for him because my memory of the blood encrusted state I'd found Eric in was enough to make me stand firm. I'd seen everything he'd done to not just Eric, but to his sister and Maudette too. So that was what gave me peace with what was now happening to him and I idly wondered if he'd ever read the bible at all, much less the verse that said 'Do unto others as you would have done to you.'

_If not, he really should have._

Gabe and the remaining two had woken up as well. Rene's screams could have woken up the dead, but they remained quiet and stayed where they were, probably due to their survival instincts kicking in, but it was already too late for that. My eyes squeezed shut when I heard a sickening crunch as Rene's scream suddenly got cut off and then a wet ripping sound followed by a thud.

_I already knew what that sound was having heard it come from what Eric had done to that vampire on the night that we'd met._

One of the other men in Gabe's gang leaned over and threw up, which oddly disgusted me more than what I was sure happened to Rene, so I looked away and tried not to focus on any one thing when Eric was suddenly in my face again. His arms held me in place as he pressed himself against me and I could feel what he was _feeling_ pressed against my stomach. I didn't know if it was me or taking out his revenge on the man that had tortured him that had Eric so randy, but _future lover discussion_ notwithstanding, nothing could happen between us right now. Rene hadn't exactly gone quietly into the good night and we still had an audience of four Weres, three kidnappers, two dead bodies, and a vampire.

_Imagining her in a pear tree in the twisted Christmas song now playing in my mind, I made a mental note to ask Eric if elves were real too._

I found myself hugging him back and feeling strangely happy for him that he was able to get his revenge, but still I said, "Eric, we need to go. Someone could have heard Rene's screams and called the police."

He continued to rub himself against me, but a soft growl rumbled through his chest hearing my words and he reluctantly let go of me. His eyes were full of the things unspoken between us, but they would have to remain that way for now.

_I could already hear the sounds of sirens and they were getting closer._

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay, but I haven't forgotten about this one. If you have, there's a little reminder down below to get you back up to speed.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just giving Sookie a backbone, which in turn gave Eric a different kind of bone.**

Chapter Ten

**EPOV**

_I wanted to consume her._

And while her blood was delectable, that wasn't what I wanted in that moment. I wanted to bite her and fuck her and rub myself all over her. My bloodlust only made it that much worse, but even so, I knew no one else but Sookie would do in that moment. However she was right. Someone had most definitely heard Lanier's screams because the police sirens were getting ever closer.

_And her pragmatism only made my dick that much harder._

I released her with a soft growl and stared down at her, trying to clear the lust from my mind, while wondering just how she was able to affect me so strongly. Our connection to one another was barely hours old and it would take time – time I didn't really have, which was ironic since I was immortal – to get used to now sharing a blood tie with another being, but it strangely felt as though there was more to it than that. My Maker was far enough away that I only knew he still existed and I'd had over three hundred years to become accustomed to Pam's emotions, but I hadn't expected to be so affected by everything I felt coming from Sookie. I'd already known she was different – not just because of her telepathy or blood, but her thought processes as well. However feeling her ever changing emotions and _what _she felt at the oddest of times was making me act like a newborn vampire, unable to control my own urges. My millennia on this earth had jaded me – made me believe there was nothing left in this world that could surprise me – and yet that's exactly what she had done and continued to do. While I didn't regret sharing my blood with her, she was a distraction I needed to overcome quickly because my urges would only increase with my rising bloodlust later on. I was already fending it off from giving Lanier his all too quick end and was prepared to feel her fear or disgust over my actions, but feeling her happiness had caught me off guard.

She was _genuinely_ happy for _me_.

_It was confusing._

_And arousing._

And I was much more adept at dealing with the latter than the former which is what made letting her go from my grasp all the more difficult, but I knew she was right and forced myself to focus. The police would be there within minutes, but seeing the remaining three prisoners, I was left with a problem. I had only expected to be dealing with Lanier and the leader Gabe this night and Sookie's car was barely large enough for me to fit into the front, but there was no way three full grown men would fit into her backseat. I could always fly back to her house, leaving adequate room for them all inside the car, but leaving her alone with them wasn't an option I was willing to take, so I called on Herveaux again, saying, "I'll need you to transport them in your truck."

"What?" he asked as though I'd demanded his firstborn. "No!"

"Fine," I replied just as quickly with my frustration only growing. "Then consider your father's marker called in as of right now." His truck stood out, what with the 'Herveaux & Son' decal on the doors, so I added, "He owes me more than his business is worth and I do believe that is a company truck you've got over there." I tilted my head at him and smirked, "What I meant to say was _had_…"

"Alright! Alright!" he growled and moved just as quickly hauling the three of them up. The remaining Weres quickly bagged and dragged what was left of the other two into the bar, and no doubt right back out the backdoor, while the owner started hosing away the blood. They didn't want to be the focus of the humans any more than we did, so I knew it wasn't out of a sense of camaraderie, but of survival in protecting their own secrets.

In a flash Herveaux had the prisoners' hands secured behind their backs with zip ties he'd retrieved from his truck and tossed them into the back of his extended cab. Shutting the door he looked back at me and angrily snapped, "Where to?"

"Hummingbird Lane, Bon Temps. There's a burned down house next to the cemetery. We'll meet you there shortly, but we have to make a stop first," I answered, before grabbing her bat and leading Sookie back to her car. I walked her to the passenger side door and her only argument was a lifted eyebrow in my direction, which I then matched with one of my own. Thankfully she only huffed in response before getting in, so I turned to Thalia and said, "I'll be in contact tomorrow evening. Stay close."

She could be a pain in the ass, but she was loyal and a fierce warrior and I would only be taking the best from my area with me when I went to rescue Pam. It was due to our own negligence any one of us had been taken to begin with, by casually dismissing the humans as a non-threat, and it was a mistake I wouldn't be making a second time.

Thalia nodded, replying, "Yes Sheriff," before disappearing into the shadows and I estimated the police to be less than a mile away by then, so I quickly got into Sookie's car. Only for her somewhat somber mood – still laced with annoyance – to change quickly into amusement, with her cackling in my direction seeing me become entangled by my own limbs.

"I didn't realize you were a _midget_," I said, unable to contain my smile feeling her mirth, while carefully reaching for the lever under the seat to move it back as far as it would go, knowing I could easily break it if I didn't watch my strength.

She was still snorting at my side, while I pondered over doing that very thing since it would be the perfect excuse to have to buy her a new car, when she chuckled, "Now that you've proven _giants_ are real, that reminds me. Are elves real too?"

_A prime example of why she confused me._

She'd broken a man's arm and then witnessed his death by vampire induced exsanguination. Her co-worker's lover died at my hand after I'd morbidly taunted him by ripping off his own piece by piece, and now we had kidnapped the remaining three and were taking them next door to her home where they would all be tortured and killed before the sun rose. And all she wanted to know was if elves were real.

"Yes," I finally replied and because I couldn't fathom the reason for her question, I added, "Why?"

"Oh nothing," she said and then snickered out softly to herself, "Vampires in pear trees."

She'd garnered my attention almost from the very moment I'd laid eyes on her and even with our unusual circumstances, previous experience told me I should be getting bored of her or at the very least – annoyed by her constant presence. No human had ever truly held my interest beyond their ability to fulfill my need for both blood and sex, and thus far I'd only gotten the pleasure of one of those two things from Sookie, so it was all the more confusing realizing that wasn't what held my fascination with her.

_Curiously, it was her mind._

Staring back at her now – watching her twinkling blue eyes staring back at me without the fear or disgust I would've expected to see from her – I couldn't imagine those feelings changing any time soon. How could they when she arbitrarily spoke of things like vampires in pear trees?

_Pam was going to be pissed I claimed her first._

"What are you thinking?" I asked because seeing her smile after everything she'd already witnessed this night, I couldn't possibly imagine what the answer might be.

Her eyes flicked to the windshield and back again before she grinned even wider and replied, "That unless you're suddenly craving Tru Blood, you're going to have to glamour my way out of the clink come dinnertime if you don't get a move on."

Feeling her lightheartedness literally warmed my chest and another soft growl left my throat while my own eyes flicked to the backseat because her answer only made me want to fuck her all the more.

_She was lucky there was neither the time for it nor the room to do it adequately._

I did as she bade and _'got a move on'_, putting the car into gear and driving out onto the main road. While I'd stayed away from my safe houses prior to my abduction, I really had no choice but to return to my main residence now that Fangtasia was no longer standing. I needed access to my bank accounts, a cell phone, and the files on my laptop, so I would need to get the duplicates from my safe and hoped there wouldn't be any surprises waiting for us when we arrived.

All of those things should've taken precedence over my curiosity with the delightful little blond at my side and yet I couldn't help wondering aloud, "How is it you're so calm after everything you've witnessed tonight?"

Not only was she calm but still somewhat gladdened as well, although my question seemed to have tempered some of her lingering amusement. Her mood turned serious as she looked at me and replied, "I grew up a telepath Eric. I've known horrors my whole life. I've been subjected to more than my fair share of them for as long as I can remember and while this may be a little more than the standard fare I'm used to, don't forget exactly how I found _you_ and _whose_ thoughts led me there. This may be the south and Gone with the Wind _is_ my favorite movie, but I'm no Scarlett. Lives are at stake and I'm not gonna sit around and let anyone else get hurt if there's something I can do to stop it. I could never live with myself if I didn't try and help, so if that means I've got to wade through the muck to reach the other side, then that's what I'll do. I'll reserve my sympathy for those who deserve it, but as far as I'm concerned, Rene and the rest of them brought this on themselves. I'm not going to fan my face and faint dead away with a case of the vapors over what happens to any one of them and it might make me a bad Christian, but so be it. Don't feel the need to carry around a pocket full of smelling salts on my account because frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

_I_ was amused feeling her insult over my purely innocent question, but only because I didn't view her as a wilting flower, even if my query may have led her to believe I did. I had never subscribed to Christian values and with the advent of The Fellowship, I didn't see my stance changing, but Sookie had a true warrior's spirit. I'd noticed it when I first came upon her surrounded by Malcolm and his nest and, if anything, her personage had only grown in my mind since then.

_And it was making something ELSE grow in my jeans._

Since I hadn't responded with more than a smirk she turned away to stare out the window and seeing we were heading in the opposite direction of the interstate, she changed the subject and asked, "Where are we going?"

"My home," I replied, wishing we had more time to do what I knew would alleviate the tightness in my jeans, but instead I tried to refocus on the situation at hand and oddly explained why we were going there. Oddly because even though I knew I felt differently towards Sookie, I wasn't used to explaining myself to any human. And yet that's exactly what I felt compelled to do with her, without any spoken indication from her that she required an explanation.

_Perhaps she was a witch…_

I knew I was merely grasping at straws once again and let it go for the time being, pulling up to my primary residence a few minutes later. Appearance wise, everything seemed to be just as I'd left it and I was about the exit the car to look for signs of intruders when Sookie grabbed onto my arm and said, "Wait."

Once again I did as she bade without questioning why and silently watched as a look of concentration took over her face, when I felt the presence of fear enter our tie just as she said, "There's a vampire in the woods behind the house. If I had to guess, I'd say they're up in one of the trees."

I'd temporarily forgotten about her ability and realized once more what a formidable asset she was, while acknowledging to myself she was so much more than that. I let that thought go for the time being as well and forced myself to focus, nodding my reply to her warning and ordering, "Stay in the car until I return." Without waiting for a response, I flew through the window and made a wide loop around the property to the woods behind the house, hovering over the treetops for mere seconds before I spotted the interloper from behind near the top of a tall pine and dove towards him.

Grabbing onto his upper arms, my momentum forced us into a downward spiral and we crashed through the branches, landing on the damp terrain with a cloud of dirt and leaves flying up from where we settled on the ground. When the moonlight shown through, I relaxed now recognizing the familiar face smiling back at me.

"Hey Mr. Eric! I'm glad to see you're okay."

_Bubba._

I pulled him to his feet before finally releasing him from my grasp, replying, "I'm fine Bubba. What are you doing here?"

He'd been so far along in his death that he shouldn't have been turned – his preference for cat blood only reiterated that fact – but he was loyal to me and followed orders without question. He was also a good tracker because it wasn't as though I'd ever entertained him as a guest, but still I wasn't all that surprised he'd found my primary residence. It did, however, make me wonder if there had been anyone else who'd found it as well.

I kept my eyes peeled for signs anyone else had been there recently, while drawing in the air around us, trying to discern any unfamiliar scents as we began walking back towards the house. When he looked over at me, like _I_ was the dolt in this conversation, he tilted his head and responded, "Well, I came to see if you're okay. Did you know your bar burned down?"

My eyes rolled of their own accord as I replied, "Yes, Bubba. I'm aware." And when the wind shifted, our heads turn simultaneously towards the sweet scent I would now recognize anywhere that was wafting towards us, making me wish I could bottle it.

_Or at the very least, bathe in it._

Sookie.

I shouldn't have been surprised she hadn't followed my orders to remain in the car because she'd already made it perfectly clear she _didn't give a damn_, but I sped over to put myself in front of her in a protective stance. Just because Bubba preferred feline blood didn't put me at anymore ease after the way Thalia had reacted in her presence, but my tensed muscles minutely relaxed when he merely approached us at a human speed with the same goofy smile never leaving his face.

My back was to Sookie so I didn't see her peek around me until I turned hearing her gasp as she said, "Oh my God! You're…"

"_Bubba_," I answered for her, while clamping my hand over her mouth and conveying with my eyes she needed to use caution. He was loyal, but he wasn't easily contained whenever he was provoked by being confronted with his human identity. And while I was certain we looked ridiculous standing there in our 'Speak no evil' – or in this case, 'Elvis' – pose, I was also sure this wasn't the first time Bubba had witnessed a similar exchange since his turning.

I watched until understanding filtered through Sookie's widened eyes and our small blood tie before releasing my hand from her mouth. And even though I could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest and feel her excitement as though it were my own, she merely smiled politely and said, "It's nice to meet you…_Bubba_."

"Howdy ma'am!" he smiled and tipped an invisible hat in her direction which only made her want to squeal, if I was reading her emotions correctly. It was similar to the sensation I would feel from Pam whenever she had a new 'toy' to play with, like on the night I'd brought Compton back to the bar with me, but outwardly Sookie kept her cool and only nodded back with a smile.

Knowing having Bubba around could actually be advantageous in the nights ahead, I told him, "I have a job for you Bubba. Wait here and then you can ride back with us to Sookie's house."

I didn't wait for a response, knowing he would do whatever I asked of him, and grabbed onto Sookie's hand, leading her back to the house. I didn't want to stick around for any longer than necessary and quickly disarmed the alarm, while pulling her inside with me and saying, "I'll only be a moment," before leaving her in the foyer and speeding off into my office. After gathering the things I'd come for, I sped back and surprisingly found her in the exact spot I'd left her in.

_It made me have hope there were other orders she might follow – ones that had to do with her disrobing._

"You have a really nice home," she said awkwardly and I realized human etiquette would dictate I should give her a tour, but we couldn't afford to take the time at the moment.

"Thank you. I would show you around, but, like I said, I don't trust the location of this house hasn't been compromised. When everything has settled down, we can return and I'll give you a full tour."

_Hopefully, starting with my bedroom where you'll follow my command to disrobe._

"Sure," she nodded and stepped back outside, while I stood there for a moment hoping in that one instance she _had_ been able to read my mind and her agreement was to more than just my spoken words.

_She really was a distraction._

After the house was locked up and the alarm engaged, we got into her car where Bubba was already sitting in the backseat. I explained to Bubba that I wanted him to guard the prisoners and then Sookie's property after we were through with them. It was necessary since I seemed to be so easily sidetracked in her presence, a marching band could parade through her living room and I might miss it. Once we got onto the interstate we fell into a mostly comfortable silence for the remainder of the drive back to Sookie's house, only with the added bonus of Bubba's soft singing to fill the air.

_Sookie fought the urge to squeal all the way home._

Her mood, however, calmed when we reached Compton's former home and I could feel her steel her nerves knowing what the rest of the night held in store for us. Herveaux was already waiting, so after I gave Bubba his orders to guard the two prisoners I would be questioning after I was done with the leader, I had Herveaux unload them from his truck. I glamoured them all to remain silent and left two on the ground outside of the barn-like structure I would be using as my interrogation room, taking the leader named Gabe inside first. Sookie's mood hadn't faltered at all, other than shooting an annoyed glance at Herveaux, and she silently followed me inside, watching as I strung his bound wrists up above his head using a length of rope tossed over one of the rafters and leaving him to dangle on the tips of his toes. But, before releasing him from my glamour, I turned to her and asked, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

It was one thing to not _give a damn_ in theory, but I knew how quickly things could shift when confronted by the reality of what she was about to witness. There weren't many hours left until sunrise and her ability would make the process go much more quickly, but I wanted to be certain she could handle it. Smelling salts aside, I wouldn't be holding back on doing whatever was necessary to get the answers I needed in order to free my child and given his plans for her, I had every intention of making it a very painful process for him.

"I'll be _fine_ Eric," she answered with her earlier annoyance returning to not just her tone, but her mood as well and ordered, "Now let him go from your whammy so we can get a move on. I have to work tomorrow and need to get _some_ sleep."

I scowled down at her recalling our earlier disagreement over her schedule and made a mental note to search through her things after she went to sleep so I could transfer the money she was owed into her bank account. Now, however, wasn't the time to argue about it – her matching scowl and mood already told me her stance on the matter hadn't changed – so I turned and faced my child's would be rapist. I stood nose to nose with him, watching him like the true predator I was as awareness returned to his eyes after releasing him from the hold I'd had of his mind.

He swallowed loudly, with the stench of fear wafting from his pores, as he asked with a false bravado, "What do you want _fanger_?"

"_My child_," I snarled in return with my fangs snapping down as I backhanded him across the face.

The scent of his blood was nowhere near as appetizing as Sookie's, but it was enough to increase my quickly rising bloodlust and I fought off my urge to tear him into shreds. He was too stunned to speak at first, but Sookie wasn't because she gasped out, "He knows!"

In my state, bloodlust wasn't the only lust I was feeling and I locked those urges down too before turning to face her and watched as she studied his face before looking back at me and saying, "He knows she's your child. They have some sort of…list? Computer program? It's like a database on vampires. Who they are – where they are – who their makers and children are."

"What?" I asked, now feeling stunned myself.

_How in the fuck would the Fellowship be able to compile such a thing?_

"How in the hell do you know _that,_ _fangbanger_?" he spat out.

I whipped around just as I whipped my hand across his face again, giving him something else to spit out – _a dislodged tooth_ – with the calm in my voice belying the growing rage I felt as I said conversationally, "Perhaps you weren't paying attention earlier this evening." I grabbed the flesh and hair on the back of his head and felt a part of his scalp tear away from his skull. Ignoring his screams and forcing him to face Sookie without taking my eyes off of him, I informed him, "She is my future lover. You don't need your tongue for me to get my answers, so you _will be_ respectful unless you want to lose it prematurely." I then turned his head to face me with enough force that the flesh in my hand came away with it and I threw it down at his feet while staring into his screaming bloody mouth, adding, "Like your incisor." To make sure my point was made, I made sure to break his clavicle bone with my next blow.

Sookie didn't feel as though she was fazed at all by what I'd done to him, only annoyed over my certainty of her future role in my life, which in turn made my lustful gaze turn back to her as I took a stalking steps towards her. Instead of addressing the inevitability of my claim, she ignored my leer and my advance, only saying, "They're hunting you all in groups – only taking vampires who either have no maker or children, or taking you all at once so you can't go after your own. That's why he was so mad at Rene seeing you were still alive because he knows you can sense Pam and go after her."

"You'll never get to her," he sputtered, distracting me from my own desires and pulling me back from the brink of taking Sookie, right here and now.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I'd registered everything she'd said and I raised my hand to deliver another blow to silence him, but stilled mine seeing Sookie raise her own hand to stop me. Pushing some of my bloodlust down, I scrutinized our tie, worried for a moment that it was already getting to be too much for her. But instead of fear or apprehension, I only felt determination coming from her. I quirked my eyebrow in silent question at her to which she replied, "If you keep hurting him, he'll only be able to think about the pain. Ask him what you want to know first."

_My bloodlust coupled with her rationality made my cock throb._

Fighting the urge to pounce on her, I turned to face him instead and waited for him to calm before asking in a falsely sweet voice, "_Why_ won't I be able to rescue my child? Where is she being held?"

I couldn't imagine where he could've possibly stashed her that I couldn't get into. Even if he had Pam locked away in a private home, I would simply – and enthusiastically – destroy the structure surrounding her until it no longer qualified as a home and the magic keeping me out would be destroyed with it. He only muttered incoherent profanities in my direction, but Sookie inched her way closer and was silent for long enough that I wondered just how complex Pam's captivity was. However I forced myself to not distract her with demands for answers right away.

My bloodlust was still high and only getting higher when I could no longer stand still and took to pacing back and forth, but my feet came to a halt feeling her sudden dismay as she finally let out a whispered, "Oh. My. God…"

**Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: Tiny gore-warning for down below.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just making Sookie a bit more understanding of vampire justice.**

Chapter Eleven

**SPOV**

"Oh. My. God…"

_Maybe he was delirious from the pain?_

Even after everything I'd witnessed tonight – after everything I'd seen and learned over the last few weeks, _this_ almost seemed like _too much._

_And that was saying something because Elvis had ridden over here in my car, serenading us with 'Hound Dog' after learning the Were would be there too._

On some level I sensed Eric zip over to my side, but I ignored him. I'd done a pretty good job of ignoring him for most of the night. His flirting – his leering – his ripping fingers, heads, and bits of scalp off of people. I ignored every last bit of it because we had more important things to concentrate on, so I continued on with that path and scooted closer to try and get a better picture of what was going through Gabe's mind by asking, "Where? Where is that place you left Pam at?"

Head wounds bled a lot and considering part of his head was stuck to the dirty wooden floor at his feet, _his _wound was bleeding _a lot-a lot_. But I ignored that too, hoping he wasn't so far gone in his pain that he wouldn't be able to think of anything else.

"Fuck you!" he spat back at me, spraying me with blood and saliva.

The _'eewww'_ barely had the chance to form in my thoughts before I was hit with another spray of his blood and spit when Eric smacked him across the face, roaring, "WHAT. DID. I. SAY?"

"Eric!" I snapped. As gross as I was – as gross as we _both_ were – now covered in blood, I put myself in front of Eric with my back facing him and wrapped his arms around my waist. I kept my hands on top of his, knowing I had no chance of holding him there if he didn't want to be, but hoping it would keep him from smacking any more coherency out of Gabe's mind before I could get the answers we needed.

_But I really should have thought that through better._

From what I could tell, Eric didn't find me _gross_ at all because his grip on me tightened as he rubbed his front against my back and dropped his face to the side of my neck, licking away whatever he came across, with a purr rumbling through his chest.

_It was no wonder him and Tina got along so well._

What he was doing was _a lot_ more difficult to ignore, but I fought off my body's reaction to him, along with fighting to keep his hands from sliding up my front, to concentrate on Gabe and asked again, "Where is that building?"

I could tell he was starting to go into shock, with his mind shutting down to spare him from the pain he was feeling, so I was only able to catch glimpses of his thoughts before he finally succumbed and passed out.

A half-whispered out, "Shit!" left my lips when I then felt Eric – _all_ of Eric – thrusting against my back.

_Double shit!_

He spun me around before I could utter another word and the next thing I knew, I was pinned between the wall and Eric's body with his mouth on mine. My lips had parted in a gasp at the sudden movement and it was all the invitation he needed for his tongue to plunge right in, with him using it to smack the coherency right out of _me_. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist, with my hands fisting the fabric at his shoulders, and I blamed his skill in the art of kissing on why I didn't push him away.

_At least not right away._

But as our kiss dragged on and his lower half moved against me, driving me to abandon everything I'd ever been taught about being a proper young lady, all I could think about was how worried I was for him. How special he made me feel and even though his automatic assumption I would be his _future lover_ annoyed me to no end, I still wanted him to try and convince me otherwise. The disappointment I'd felt when I'd assumed he was with Pam had been replaced with hope that maybe there could be something more between us in the future and it was a future I wanted to have, so Gabe's final thoughts had scared me to death. If what he'd thought was real and not a delusion, then Eric was in danger.

_They all were._

"Eric," I panted out, finding the will to push him away when all I wanted to do was hold him closer – to hide him and protect him from ever being harmed. If it hadn't been for the fact his child was already in danger, then I may have very well tried to convince him to let me.

"I want you," he breathed out against my skin as he ran his fangs along my neck.

_Gee…I never would've guessed._

"Eric," I repeated, and tried to put more force behind his name and into my hands as I pushed against his shoulders. "We need to question the other two. I need to see if they know where the place is that Gabe brought Pam to." When he didn't seem fazed by my words, I shoved harder and said a lot harsher, "Pam! We need to find Pam!"

His body froze for a long second before he sighed against my neck and made chills run down my spine when he placed one last soft kiss just under my ear. He moved to put his face in front of mine and the fire in his eyes made my insides heat up, but all he did was press his lips against my forehead and then released me from his grasp, reluctantly placing me back on my feet. Thankfully he didn't let go right away because I swayed for a second and when we were both somewhat calmed down again, he asked, "What did you hear that had you so upset? Where is Pam?"

"That's just it," I said, "I don't know. I don't know if he was imagining it from the pain, but if it's real…"

I trailed off because I still couldn't wrap my mind around it.

_It can't be real, can it?_

Eric's hand gently cupped my cheek and tilted my head so that my eyes would meet his as he asked, "If _what_ is real? What did you hear?"

"I saw," I whispered. The images flooded through my mind again and I closed my eyes, admitting, "They – The Fellowship – they aren't acting alone. The government…it…the place where he left her to come here…"

"_Where_ Sookie?" he asked when I didn't continue.

"I…I'm not sure, but it looked like a…_a prison_," I answered and finally opened my eyes to let the tears out. "It's big and it's guarded with soldiers. Not soldiers like Gabe, but _real soldiers_ armed with guns that shoot silver and wooden bullets. It's fenced and there are huge steel doors like bank vaults use. There're long tunnels and security checkpoints through the whole damn thing just to get to where the vampires are kept and I think it's underground. And it's not just Pam. They…there are _hundreds_ of vampires being kept there."

I'd only been able to get flashes of it thanks to the pain going through Gabe at the time and the earlier intensity in Eric's eyes changed into a different kind of fire, with every trace of his amorous desire disappearing as he asked incredulously, "_Hundreds?_"

Well, it wasn't like I could count them all in the quick images running through Gabe's mind at the time, so I only shrugged and said, "It was a lot."

"Why?" he asked, seemingly to himself as he started to pace again before stopping in front of Gabe's unconscious body where he roared at a frightening decibel, "WHY?" Gabe didn't even twitch and Eric's rage was irrefutable when he grabbed onto Gabe's head and twisted it, with a sickening snap ringing out into the air, and yanked down hard enough that Gabe's arms gave way from his shoulders, while his body fell onto the floor as his arms still dangled from the rope above him.

_Well…I guess we won't be finding out why from Gabe._

A lake of blood pooled around his body and Eric seemed unfazed by the blood dripping down onto his shoulders from Gabe's dangling arms, but seeing the bones and tendons spilling out made my mind wander with me wondering if I'd ever be able to serve meat again, much less eat any of it.

_Maybe I'd give vegetarianism a try…_

I pushed myself off of the wall I'd been leaning against and headed towards the door, saying, "Let's see if one of the other two know anything useful."

When I opened the door I was assaulted with the not-so-kind thoughts of the waiting Were – he was thinking he was surprised Eric and I hadn't taken the time 'fuck' while we were in there – so I fought off the urge to assault _him_ since I'd left my softball bat in the car and turned my eyes to El…I mean, Bubba and said, "Would you please bring the next one in?"

"Sure thing Miss Sookie," he smiled and grabbed onto the closest one, carrying him into the shed like he weighed next to nothing. He made quick work of pulling Gabe's arms down so he could use the rope to tie up the next guy.

When he was through he carried out all of Gabe's remains without being asked, shutting the door behind him, and perhaps I was a little delirious myself because I snickered out softly, "_Bubba_ has left the building."

Eric didn't seem to find any humor in the situation and immediately released the man from his glamour, asking, "Where are the vampires being held?"

The man was terrified – too terrified to think straight with a blood covered angry vampire in his face – and when his eyes glanced down and saw the Gabe-shaped bloody outline left on the floor, that was _all_ he could think about. His eyes slammed shut while his body trembled and I might have felt bad for him if he hadn't been praying for God to kill all vampires and vampire lovers.

_Future _lover, thank you very much!

_Maybe._

What he'd _actually_ thought was '_fanged devils and fangbangers'_ with a picture of my face entering into his thoughts and the things he imagined Eric and I doing to one another were downright nasty and straight out of a pornographic horror film, but I kept my cool. Walking over to Eric, I pulled him back and nodded for him to stand off to the side before placing my hand on the man's chest to get a better read and softly soothed, "It's okay. Just tell me where the vampires are being held. The place with all of the soldiers."

_Which one?_

He hadn't said the words out loud, but I heard him clear as day and I took a step back with my eyes opening wide in disbelief as I asked, "How many are there?"

Eric's body tensed hearing my question, but he remained unnaturally still as I heard the roll call run through his mind.

_Texas. Mississippi. Nevada._

"Why?" I asked. "Why are they keeping them all?"

It just didn't make any sense. Vampires were immortal, so did they plan on keeping them incarcerated _forever_? What purpose did it serve? What had they done to be jailed to begin with?

I nearly vomited hearing his unexpected silent response.

_Experimentation._

This guy was a part of the upper echelon of Fellowship soldiers just like Gabe and therefore had been given the _privilege_ of getting a tour of one of their main facilities. I could see in his head he'd been walking right alongside Reverend Steve Newlin himself.

They'd taken off from what looked like an abandoned airfield in Texas in a private plane and landed in the middle of the desert where they were met by a group of men. Those men weren't in uniform, but the soldiers were there too and they'd been driven a short distance away, through high fences topped with razor wire, with security checkpoints and cameras seemingly every few feet. Everyone in the vehicle was checked at each one until they finally pulled up to what looked like an industrial park.

Rows of buildings were lined up side by side and they were led into one where they all climbed into an elevator and descended down. More soldiers met them when the doors opened and they walked down a short hallway before going through a huge steel door that was at least twenty feet high, twelve feet wide, and six feet deep. They passed walls of windows where people dressed in labcoats worked on the other side before coming to another huge door. This one, their tour guide explained, was made of pure silver, and was nearly as big as the first one they'd come through. Inside was a cavernous room with row after row of tall steel fixtures. Each one was accessible by stairwells that went up four floors in all and each row held twenty silver cells on each side with a vampire occupying nearly every one.

He had no idea he was answering my questions even though he hadn't said a word out loud, but I still grabbed onto the front of his shirt and shook him screaming, "Where _is_ that?" It wasn't the silver cells or the seemingly impenetrable place they held them all that made my insides churn. It was what they were doing to the vampires they had in their custody.

They cut them – bled them – trying to learn what it was that made them the way they were. They burned them with silver and sunlight to see the effects for themselves. They chopped off limbs and studied the way in which they could regenerate them. They studied the healing properties of their blood and saliva. They kept the lucky ones blindfolded so the staff couldn't be glamoured while the unlucky ones had their eyes taken from them, but they wanted to know the key to that as well and that was their true end game.

_They wanted to figure out a way to reverse the process so they could turn any vampire into a super soldier the military could use at their disposal._

They partnered with Newlin because it was his soldiers who did all of the dirty work. The military were acting in secret and needed to keep their hands clean where the public was concerned because the whole country hadn't adopted the same xenophobic stance towards vampires as most of the south had. I'd heard enough to know Texas and Mississippi only had temporary holding facilities with all of the vampires ultimately going to this main one in Nevada.

I just didn't know _where_ in Nevada.

"WHERE?" I yelled again and even though he held his tongue, it rang out loud and clear in his thoughts.

I released him from my grasp and wandered away, too stunned to say anything, and slumped against the wall where I slid down and rested on my heels. Eric re-glamoured the man and appeared in my line of sight only a second later, but even that didn't make me flinch.

"Where are they Sookie? What did you see?" he asked while gently pulling the strands of hair away that had been stuck to my face thanks to Gabe's blood.

"You said you can tell Pam is west of here, right?" I asked without answering his question. When he nodded, I asked, "Can you tell how far?"

He concentrated for a moment before replying, "Several hundred miles. She feels farther away now than when I'd been held by Lanier."

_That was what I was afraid of._

"It's because he moved her," I barely whispered. After everything I'd seen and been a part of tonight, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head, hoping it was all a bad dream. But it wasn't.

It was real and I couldn't afford to bury my head in the sand.

I steeled myself knowing we still had a long night ahead of us and pulled myself to my feet, finally explaining, "She's in Nevada. They all are. From what I can tell that's the main location where all of the captured vampires are being taken to." I could only hope that Pam wouldn't be subjected to any of the atrocities I'd seen in his mind since the tenor of Gabe's thoughts led me to believe he'd planned on returning for her.

"Do you know where in Nevada?" he asked.

I breathed out a lung full of air, hoping the lump in my throat would go with it, and answered, "Groom Lake." Raising my eyes to meet his own, I added, "Area 51."

After quickly telling him everything I'd learned, for the next couple of hours Eric and I tag teamed the remaining two prisoners, with each of us using our own methods of getting answers, trying to learn all we could about where the vampires were being kept and the security measures they had in place. The last prisoner was new to the Fellowship and didn't know much about that end of things, but we did learn a few tidbits about Newlin and the way the Fellowship worked.

When we were through, Herveaux and Bubba took care of what was left of them while Eric walked me home, so I wouldn't get blood all over the inside of my car. I took a shower while he went back to deal with everything else and by the time I emerged in my pajamas, I found him freshly showered as well, in his room with his laptop open.

"You should get some sleep," he said with concern when he saw me standing in his doorway and added, "But first I need you to invite Bubba into the house."

I turned on autopilot to go downstairs, but he stopped me by saying, "You can do it from here. I just want him to be able to get in if there's an emergency. He's patrolling the woods surrounding your home, but I've already told him Tina is a pet and he's to leave her alone."

"Huh?" I asked in a daze, wondering what Tina had to do with anything.

Eric's lips quirked to the side as he said, "He's _different_. He was far enough along in his death that he shouldn't have been turned, but the vampire working in the morgue he was brought to was a fan. He detected the spark of life still present and turned him." His eyes held mine and added, "Bubba prefers feline blood."

_Of course he does because this night couldn't get any crazier. Why not? After all, now we were dealing with government conspiracies at secret military bases where they probably kept E.T._

"Oh my God!" I suddenly laughed out. "I'm Scully and you're Mulder!"

_It made sense. Eric was a fox._

Tears streamed down my face as I laughed uncontrollably, but Eric's eyes only grew wider with concern and he closed his laptop and set it off to the side as he stood up. He scooped my body into his arms and brought me back to his bed, placing me under the covers and turning off the light before crawling in behind me, but I didn't question his motives. I couldn't when he wrapped his arms around me and the tears were suddenly caused by an entirely different reason, so I turned in his arms, sobbing against his chest and eventually cried myself to sleep, worried to death for his child and appalled at what my own government was doing to them.

I woke up the next day exactly where I'd fallen asleep, not quite sure what time it was since the window was blacked out, but knew I couldn't linger for very long because I had to go to work. After everything we'd learned the night before, I knew I'd need to take some time off, but I wanted to tell Sam in person. I owed him at least that much and that way I'd be able to try and read his thoughts since he'd rightfully assume my leave of absence had to do with Eric.

My eyes narrowed in the darkness to stare back at him for a few seconds and I felt a warmth spread through me seeing him lying there looking so peaceful. I hated the thought of any harm coming to him and gave into my urge to give him a tiny peck on his lips before I dragged myself back to my room, but the affection I felt for him disappeared seeing the note he'd left on my bathroom mirror.

_**My future lover,**_

_**Per our discussion yesterday, I've transferred the money due you into your account, so there is no need for you to work at the shifter's bar for the foreseeable future. I hope to find you here waiting for me when I rise (preferably naked and at my side), but regardless of whatever state of dress or undress you choose to greet me in, I hope that your rationality from yesterday will prevail and keep you from acting out in your misguided belief that your actions weren't worth every penny. Believe me when I say I've low balled you, but feel free to rough me up a bit later on. **_

_**We'll both enjoy it.**_

_**Your future lover**_

_Of all the highhanded…no good…low down…_

_VAMPIRE!_

My feet carried me right back into his room where I flipped on the light and waved the paper in front of his dead-for-the-day face, yelling, "What gives you the right?"

_Not even a twitch._

"ARGH!" I yelled before stomping out of the room and slamming the door behind me. I stomped all the way downstairs to get a pen so I could leave a note for my _so-far-in-the-future-lover–we'd-be-getting-around- in-hovercrafts-on-Mars_, but when I slammed the piece of paper down onto the table with my pen poised like a dagger, I noticed the post script I'd missed.

_**P.S. You're beautiful when you sleep.**_

_Stupid incredibly sweet vampire!_

I took a few deep breaths to calm down and decided I would argue with Eric later over the money, but I'd already planned on telling Sam I would need the time off anyway. That didn't mean I'd leave him hanging today though, so I scribbled a note to Eric telling him nothing more than I would be _at work_ when he rose, but for him to either stay in his room or go out through the window in my bedroom if he needed to leave. Gran would be returning sometime after lunch, but she hadn't gone upstairs ever since her fall and I didn't think that would change today, figuring she'd be tired when she got home and there would be no need for her to go into Jason's room. But just in case I made sure everything was tidied up before I left for work thinking I'd find a way to introduce her to Eric later on.

I had every intention of going with him to free Pam, and whoever else we could get out of there, but I refused to lie to Gran. She would worry, but I knew she'd be just as upset as me over how they were being treated and would understand my need to help them.

_But I'd leave out what happened to Gabe and the others because I wasn't so sure she'd be THAT understanding._

After leaving the note tucked into Eric's hand (after talking myself out of taping it to his forehead), I stepped outside and then jumped a mile high because the Were, Herveaux, snuck up on me, saying, "Uh…hi?"

I wanted to yell at him for scaring me, but seeing the apologetic look on his face, along with feeling a little at fault myself – I was a telepath for Christ's sake and should've been paying attention – all I said was, "What are you doing here?"

His regretful look disappeared as he scowled, "Northman wanted me to guard you during the day while you're at work."

_Eric knew me better than I thought._

His anger was so focused I was able to hear his thoughts much more clearly than the little snippets I'd heard the night before. He was angry at more than just having his day dictated by Eric – something I knew a little bit about myself – and after everything else I'd heard from not just him but the Fellowship 'soldiers' too, I couldn't help but ask, "Why do you hate them so much?"

"You wouldn't understand," he huffed out. "And you're a fool to trust that he wouldn't do the exact same thing to you that he did to those guys last night. Northman is a vicious son of a bitch. I don't know what he's got on you or what he wants from you, but as soon as your debt to him is paid you'd be wise to steer clear of him."

"I understand more than you think," I huffed right back and headed for my car. I didn't know if Eric had told him I was a telepath and figured I shouldn't out myself right away without talking to him first. But if he trusted him enough to watch over me when he couldn't, then I figured I could at least try and get along with him, so I calmly said, "I know that you're a Were."

He failed miserably at trying to cover his surprise, but quickly straightened his features and said, "Then it shouldn't be any surprised why I don't like fangs."

I whipped around to face him, angrily spitting out, "Like _you_ don't have fangs on every full moon?"

"That's _different_!" he snarled back. "I was _born_ that way and we never would've stormed a church killing a bunch of humans!"

I had no clue what led to Eric being a vampire, but I didn't see _any_ difference and said, "And _Eric_ can't help what _he is_ any more than _you can_. Do you honestly think that if the Fellowship learned about you all that they wouldn't be hunting you too?"

All of the horrible images from the night before sprang up in my mind and tears welled in my eyes as I took a step towards him, poking him in the chest while the words tumbled out of my mouth. "_The Fellowship_ had kidnapped a vampire and planned on _murdering him_ at dawn. Can you honestly tell me you all wouldn't have done whatever you could to get one of your own back? Do you _really believe_ the humans wouldn't freak the hell out and cage you _like animals_ if they found out about you? Do you know that _our own government_ is in on it and has hundreds of vampires locked away, doing _horrible_ things to them? Hacking off their limbs? Ripping out their eyes so they can't use their glamour? Burning them with silver and sunlight – bleeding them – all in the name of _science_ to create some _super soldier_? If they succeed, _who_ do you think they'll use to go after _you_ when _your kind_ is found out?"

He was taken aback – by my words, my posture and my tears, but the anger he'd been showing changed into nothing but curiousness when he asked, "Why do you care?"

"How could I _not_?" I asked and suddenly lost all of my steam.

I was too tired – exhausted really – and had more important things to worry about than what _he_ thought, so I turned to head towards my car again without waiting for an answer. But I didn't get far when he called out, "Listen, I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that Weres and Vamps aren't exactly allies, but I didn't know all of that was going on. Is that what those guys told you last night?"

My feet stilled and I turned to face him with nothing more than a nod, finding a reserve of energy from somewhere within and concentrated with all of my might to reach through the red snarl of his mind to try and hear the thoughts behind them.

_She's right. If they're doing that to vamps then they'd do worse to us. We're like them – we walk alongside them every day and they have no clue, so they'd consider us a bigger threat. I need to talk to the Colonel and see if he'll talk to Northman. Maybe there's something we can do to help them out before our secret is out too._

Hearing his thoughts now, for the first time I saw him as something more than an ass. We would need all the help we could get to free Pam and the other vampires, so I was sincere when I said, "I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Sookie. It's nice to meet you."

I held my hand out to shake and when he finally took it in his own, he nodded and said, "Alcide Herveaux. Nice to meet you." But when he thought, _'She's not like a normal fangbanger and Northman doesn't treat her like one. Maybe I was wrong about her,'_ that was when I truly started to like him.

Merlotte's was the same as it always was and Sam's eyes bugged out when he noticed Alcide take a seat in my section. Now that I knew he was a shifter, I guessed he knew what Alcide was too and for the first time I felt like a little less of a freak now knowing I wasn't the only one who was different.

I was glad Arlene had worked the early shift and left not long after I came on duty because I could both _hear_ and see her worry about Rene when he obviously hadn't come home the night before. She was hoping he'd just stayed out with Gabe and got caught up in Fellowship business, and while I felt bad for _her_, the majority of me thought she was better off without him – even if she'd never know why or what happened to him.

I waited until my break to tell Sam I needed time off and he was quick to blame _'that vampire'_, but at least he had the decency to keep his voice down. I wasn't sure just how much Eric would want me to tell Sam, but I guessed it wasn't much and instead I pulled the friendship card on him. It was low. It was playing dirty. And it certainly wasn't fair. Sam was my boss – first and foremost – before he was my friend. But considering I'd helped question three 'prisoners' the night before and witnessed five deaths, playing on Sam's affinity for me wasn't even the worst thing I'd done _that day_. I even added a little bit of a pouty lip and an extra batting lash or two when I asked if I could leave after the dinner rush because I knew Eric would be chomping at the bit to get Pam out of that hell hole. But in my bid for priority seating when I arrived to my eternal resting place – Hell – I blamed Gran's homecoming for why I wanted to leave early.

And it worked.

And I didn't feel guilty.

Nor did I want to think about what that said about me.

Alcide stuck around until sunset when he gave me a nod – and a substantial tip – before heading out, but I didn't think much of it figuring that was the end of his shift. I thought his presence was overkill anyway considering no one knew about my secret life as a vampire sidekick, so I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary when I stepped out of the bar to walk to my car, but thankfully my yelp was muffled by Eric's chest. He'd seemingly appeared out of thin air when I was suddenly crushed to him, with his arms wrapped around me, and I worried for a split second something was wrong until he planted his face against my neck and inhaled deeply, purring out, "Good evening, lover."

"_Future_ lover," my mouth said before my brain could catch up.

I felt his lips form into a smile against my neck, just as I felt my skin turn red hot from both my word vomit and his proximity, when he tried to sound innocent as he asked, "_Immediate_ future? Like…five minutes from _now_ future?"

I made sure to clamp my lips together before they could betray me again and tried to squirm out of his hold, but Eric only seemed to enjoy that even more and said, "This would be much more fun without our clothes on."

"Eric!" I was aiming for 'harsh rebuke', but it came out more like a pleading pant of air, so I swallowed hard in case there was anything else trying to get out without my permission and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He finally pulled away enough to look into my eyes, but I couldn't guess at what he was thinking until he said, "You foolishly went to work when there was no need. I am here because you are. I won't leave you unprotected."

_Stupid highhanded vampire – adding the sweetness onto the end to temper the bitterness of the beginning._

I ignored the way he made my insides flutter and adopted the same cold and calculated tone, saying, "I am here because you _foolishly_ thought you could order me around and dictate my life to me. I am _foolishly_ leaving work _early_ and have _foolishly_ requested time off so I can help _you_ free _your child_, but make no mistake _Mr. Northman_. I am _my own_ woman."

He stared me down like I gave two figs what he thought, which maybe I did – a little – but not when it came to my job or whatever role he would end up having in my life in the future. Vampire sheriff or not, when it came to any _future_ relationship, we'd be equals or we'd be history. And maybe I really _was_ foolish because I'd seen him kill four men just hours earlier, but I wasn't afraid of him at all.

_I already knew without a doubt he'd never hurt me._

His eyes narrowed just as the corners of his lips turned upwards and he said, "_Foolish woman_. You're _mine_."

I opened my mouth to let him have it, but he was quick to stop me by kissing me.

_Talk about playing dirty…_

I couldn't find the strength to hold onto my anger and after a while I could barely remember what I'd been angry about, so I was a little confused when Eric pulled away first and said, "We should go."

My lust filled brain thought about going back home so we could continue our wordless argument on the couch – or possibly in my bed – but then it sunk in.

Gran would be home by now.

_Did it make me a bad person for lamenting over the thought?_

_Did I really think THAT was what would make me a bad person after everything I'd been a party to over the last twenty-four hours?_

I pushed it all away because I couldn't feel any guilt over those things after hearing everything _they'd_ been a party to and instead pulled Eric towards my car and headed home. "Gran should be there," I said as we turned onto Hummingbird Road. "She'll want to meet you and while I don't think we should tell her _everything_, I don't want to lie to her either. She's gonna know something's up anyway when I have to leave for Nevada, but I'll read her thoughts and tell her enough so that she won't worry too much."

"She's already there," Eric replied and when I looked over at him, he added, "I heard her moving around the house when I first rose. Her scent is already familiar to me after having spent so much time there, so I know it was her."

A spike of nervousness swept through me when we turned onto my driveway because for all intents and purposes, this was the first time I was bringing a boy home to meet my Gran.

A vampire boy.

A thousand year old vampire boy.

A case of the giggles pushed all of the nervousness out of me, with me nearly doubling over on top of the steering wheel, and Eric looking at me like I was crazy only added to my hysterics. I ignored his wary expression and got out of the car, grabbing onto his hand and pulled him along behind me as I snickered out, "A word of warning. When she asks you what your intentions are for dating her granddaughter, _do not_ say it's for me to be your future lover unless you want a rolling pin to the back of your head." I glanced up at his six foot four frame and wiped the tears from my eyes, still giggling, "You're fast, but I think she can take you."

He smiled at my silliness and squeezed my hand, but as soon as I opened the backdoor into the kitchen we both froze seeing Gran sitting at the kitchen table.

With the King of Rock and Roll sitting across from her like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Their smiling faces turned towards us just as Gran's eyebrow rose up and she pointedly looked at Eric before looking at me and saying, "Young lady, I think you have some explaining to do."

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: I feel like a shit for not updating **_**anything**_** recently, but my only excuse is being sick. My brain doesn't want to cooperate when medicated, but it seems to have mostly passed aside from the occasional hacking cough. Thanks to all of you who PM'd checking up on me.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just switching things up so Gran could meet Eric.**

Chapter Twelve

**EPOV**

_IDIOT!_

I would've glared at Bubba, but it would've been a pointless exercise and it was partly my own fault for not telling him to stay away from the house when Sookie's grandmother came back unless there was a threat to be dealt with.

_Unless he'd already dealt with the threat and that was his cause to be here?_

Sookie's grandmother didn't look frightened or upset as if something had happened, but after the way her granddaughter reacted – or _didn't react_ as it were – to watching me torture and kill four men the night before, I could hardly use that as my cue to relax. It was the lack of any other foreign scents that eased the tension in my shoulders, at least until her grandmother's gaze came back to me.

_Sookie was right. She could probably take me._

"Um…Gran, I see you've met…uh…" Sookie stammered at my side.

"Bubba," her grandmother answered, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Yes!" Sookie enthusiastically agreed, as though her grandmother was a game show contestant and had just won the final round. "_Bubba_ and this," she held up my hand she was still crushing in her own, "is Eric. Eric Northman."

"Nice to meet you Eric," she smiled back at me with a knowing look and then added, "I like you already since you made up the bed before you left earlier, so I'll forgive the fact you didn't bother to introduce yourself to me before you skedaddled out Sookie's window."

"Uh…" Sookie and I stammered in unison.

I didn't know if it was feeling Sookie's hesitance or just the woman's presence alone that had me feeling like I was twelve years old again, caught by my father feeling up one of the village girls when I should've been tending to the fields.

Like a pussy, I was thankful her harsh gaze went back to Sookie and I tried to be supportive, even if I took a small step backwards, as her grandmother's eyes narrowed when she said, "But I know for _a fact_ you don't make up your bed unless it's your day off. And seeing as how _it's made_ and you were _at work_, I think I can safely surmise you didn't sleep there last night." I didn't realize just how far I'd backed up until Sookie tugged me forward and absolute mortification filled our tie just as her grandmother added, "Now since you didn't introduce Eric as your beau, you can either show me the engagement ring you all just ran out to get or you can go pick your switch."

I didn't have to look at Sookie to know her mouth was hanging open. She felt nothing but shock at the moment and while it wouldn't win me any points in her or her grandmother's favor, seeing Bubba's equally affronted expression that I may have been anything less than a gentleman towards Sookie made me laugh.

Loudly.

Sookie eventually managed to stammer out, "It's not like that Gran! Eric's not my beau or even my boyfriend!"

"You say that like it makes it all better," the woman scolded, while Sookie smacked my arm with her free hand and hissed, "It's. Not. Funny!"

_It was!_

Turning back to her grandmother, while I reined in my amusement, Sookie timidly explained, "Eric's a vampire."

"Again, you say that like it makes it all better. I saw the window upstairs was blocked off when I took a walk around my garden and noticed the Tru Blood in the fridge, so it was easy to put two and two together," she chided. Her eyes traveled from my head to my feet and back again before turning back to Sookie and saying, "Vampire or not, he's a man. A _good looking_ one to boot and from the way you two are clutching at each other's hands, with your lips all swollen, I assume he finds you just as attractive. So tell me again why I shouldn't take you out behind the shed if he's not even _your boyfriend_?"

I could see where Sookie's spunk came from and I already liked the woman more than I thought would be possible, but wanting to spare Sookie any more humiliation, I took a step forward and said, "Mrs. Stackhouse, I assure you nothing untoward has occurred between your granddaughter and I." She may as well have yelled out _'Bullshit!'_ because her expression screamed it, so I smirked slightly and admitted, "Not that I haven't tried, but believe me when I say she's making me work for it like no other woman ever has."

My truthful – if not _candid_ – explanation was enough to bring Sookie out of her stupor because she screeched, "ERIC!" and ripped her hand from mine in order to use both of them to mimic a windmill in her wasted pursuit of trying and smack me to my final death. But Sookie's grandmother smiled back at me with a gleam in her eye and said, "It's good to know she didn't let a pretty face make her forget everything she's been taught."

Sookie gasped at her grandmother's words with her hands still hovering in the air, but seeing the woman found humor in the situation, I wanted Sookie to feel it too and looked down at her, waggling my eyebrows, and said, "Your grandmother thinks _I'm pretty_."

She relaxed somewhat and smiled slightly, but added one final smack for good measure as she said, "She won't be swayed by your looks any more than I am, so don't go counting your chickens before they hatch. She'll learn what a pill you are and then you'll be up the creek without a paddle."

There was a _canal_ I'd much rather _be up_ – no paddles required – but I had a feeling Sookie would abandon her windmill approach and go in search of the silverware if I voiced that out loud. Instead I smirked back at her and said, "Then it's a good thing I can fly."

"You can?" Mrs. Stackhouse asked, with a childlike wonder. She almost appeared to have been glamoured as she thought over my confession, but when I nodded back at her she seemed to shake herself out of it and said, "Where are my manners? I'm sorry Eric, would you like a Tru Blood?"

She gestured at the bottle I'd only now noticed on the table in front of Bubba, leaving no doubt she hadn't taken him for some oddball _human_ impersonator who'd shown up on her doorstep. I'd never witnessed any interaction between him and humans who didn't know better than to think he'd drink the synthetic blood, so I was left confounded when he picked it up and gave me a look as if to say I'd better accept her offer so as not to offend her. My mouth may have fallen open seeing him take a sip – _and swallow_ – before smiling back at her like she'd filled it with a fresh litter of kittens just for him. But seeing Tina safely curled up on one of the chairs I shook off my own childlike wonder now having witnessed the impossibility of Bubba drinking synthetic _human_ blood.

_If I'd taken a picture, it could be used in the vampire version of the National Enquirer with the headline reading, 'Bubba spotted drinking Tru Blood? Tutti Fruitti or fact?'_

"Yes," I finally managed to answer and even though I now had that blasted song going through my head, I still managed to add, "Thank you."

_But, thinking of Tutti Fruitti…_

What I really craved was Sookie's blood, but I didn't think her grandmother would be _that_ understanding. Nor did I think Sookie would be willing to feed me with an audience. Her emotions were flitting through her so fast I couldn't latch onto any one of them to try and figure out what might possibly be going through her mind. It made me want to feed her more of my blood so I could get an even better read of her inner workings, but sadly that too would have to wait. However, I had every intention of doing so before we made our way to Nevada. Sookie's help with the human presence would be invaluable – if not outright necessary – and there was no way she would be going there without me having taken every precaution to ensure her safety.

_And ensuring my ability to find her should something go wrong._

Finally she calmed somewhat and gestured between her grandmother and Bubba, asking, "So, uh…how did you all two meet?"

"Oh," she smiled and turned, handing me the now warmed bottle of blood. "_Bubba_ came to the door just after dark and introduced himself, asking if Eric was with you." Her eyebrow rose up questioningly as she added, "He wasn't sure if his _guard duties_ were just for _last night._" She then her eyes narrowed back at her granddaughter when she ordered, "Now explain yourself young lady."

We each took a seat. Sookie, I gathered, because even I could tell her legs felt rubbery now that she was under her grandmother's penetrating stare and me because I had no doubt I would be next up in her interrogation. Or inquisition.

_I would not admit my legs were perhaps rubbery at the thought as well._

Sookie started at the beginning on the night I came upon her surrounded by Malcolm's nest on the side of the highway. She explained how she couldn't hear our thoughts and then what she knew of my position as Sheriff of this area, with me clarifying certain points along the way. Sookie told her how we'd lost contact after that night with the happenings in Dallas and then later heard in Lanier's thoughts he'd taken me prisoner. Her grandmother's eyes filled with tears hearing of the state in which I'd been found. And thankfully Sookie glossed over my initial reaction when I came to with her blood in my mouth, as well as the finer points of how she helped facilitate my recovery while in their home.

It wasn't until she learned of my child's abduction and the plans the rapist named Gabe had for her that the tears finally fell from her eyes. But that was quickly replaced by her anger when she was told of where Pam was now and what was being done to those held with her. She didn't question how we learned of this new information. Nor did she ask what had happened to the five Fellowship soldiers we'd encountered at the Were bar in Shreveport. In fact, Mrs. Stackhouse's only qualms came from how _my kind_ had been treated by humans. She was appalled by the torture I'd suffered at Lanier's hands. She was thankful Sookie had been able to successfully rescue me and relieved when Sookie alluded he was no longer a threat to _anyone_. She even managed to find some humor in the situation when she chuckled out loud over her grandson's reaction to my _Come-to-Jesus_ speech, giving me a wink and saying, "Good for you." She called Sookie's telepathy a _blessing_ and was proud of her granddaughter's Stackhouse backbone for being able to _do the right thing_. Learning of the existence of Weres and Merlotte's shifter status only made her wide-eyed with fascination and made her smile even wider as though Christ himself had made an appearance in her kitchen.

_Perhaps their well water was contaminated by brain altering bacteria?_

I'd never felt more baffled. After a millennia of walking this earth I had no similar experiences to fall back on to give me guidance – or even _the first fucking clue_ – of how to respond to her acceptance. So I was left with no words when, after Sookie finished telling her tale, her grandmother turned to me and asked, "So what do we need to do to get your Pam out of there?"

_We?_

I'd been monitoring Pam's wellbeing through my blood throughout the night and feeling that she was well – although weak and pissed off – was what gave me the fortitude to take the time to plan her rescue. Pragmatism and strategy aside, if I'd felt one iota of fear or debilitating pain coming from her – now knowing what could possibly be happening to her – I wouldn't have been able to sit still. Instead I likely would've flown off to get to her, laying to waste as many as I could before possibly meeting my final death and sealing her own fate as well. And as much as I loathed the thought of Sookie being in such a dangerous place, I had my child's welfare to consider and after hearing all that was being done to my kind in that federally funded house of horrors, I had no choice but to accept her offer for assistance. Never mind the fact I loathed the idea of Sookie being hundreds of miles away from me even more. The small tie I had to her now through my blood would be no match for that kind of distance. However, the same did not hold true for Sookie's grandmother and as much as I found I enjoyed her presence, she would only hinder our movements. But instead of saying that, I explained, "I've already sent word to all of the vampires in my fealty to meet with me later on this evening. We need to come up with a plan to extract my child and as many of the other vampires held captive as we can. The location they're being held presents some problems, but we will find a way."

I couldn't find much on Area 51 in my research the night before other than websites dedicated to wild conspiracy theories, none of which had anything to do with vampires and instead centered on alien life forms. Even satellite images of Groom Lake were blurred out, but I could always fly overhead once we were there to get a layout of the area. There weren't any other vampires in my area who had the gift of flight and not many who were skilled fighters like Thalia, but most were at least a century old. The younger ones would be called forth as well because, if anything, they'd be enough of a distraction to the humans so the more experienced warriors would have a chance at freeing the captive vampires. I would do my best to get them all out, but the whole lot of them could be left as puddles on the ground and I wouldn't care so long as my child was free.

"Eric," Sookie said as she turned towards me. "Earlier today, when I was leaving for work, I sort of lost my temper with Alcide and ended up telling him some of what we learned last night. I heard him think he was going to speak to the Colonel? He thought they should help us since they could be next if their kind is found out."

"Colonel Flood," I nodded, not at all surprised Sookie had lost her temper. Given the Were's obvious contempt for us the night before, I didn't have to wonder what would make her angry. So I didn't bother to ask and instead explained, "He is the leader of the Weres' Long Tooth Pack." It could explain the message I had from Flood upon rising earlier this evening, requesting an audience. And given Herveaux's disdain, it only made me realize Sookie's appeal didn't just extend to me if he'd been willing to call his pack leader in regards to having them offer us their assistance. Given _her_ scorn of him the night before, I tried to push away the possessive feelings that thought provoked and focused on the possibility an alliance could be formed with the Weres. I'd assumed his call was to squabble over what had happened at the Hair of the Dog Were bar the night before, but now I had to wonder if it was for a more advantageous reason. An allegiance with the Weres would certainly be helpful, considering they blended in with the humans and could move about during the daytime hours. But after the massacre in Dallas, relations between our two species had been strained at best.

"Is that like just a title or is he in the military?" Sookie asked.

"Military," I replied and added what else I knew, saying, "Out of Barksdale AFB."

Another thought occurred to me and Mrs. Stackhouse voiced it out loud when she said, "A man like that would have connections. Do you think he could know someone working out at that place in Nevada?"

One could only hope. I'd put off contacting de Castro for now, not wanting to have to deal with any potential takeovers by admitting our numbers were lessened at the moment. They were busy dealing with the fallout from Dallas as well, but de Castro was a greedy son of a bitch. I wouldn't put it past him to try and take advantage of our weakened state, no matter what he was dealing with on his own turf. I was still mulling over the possibility of contacting Edgington and Threadgill for their assistance. I trusted Edgington as much as I trusted any vampire and rumor had it he would soon be aligning his kingdom's with Indiana's, so they would be a boon to our offensive. The King of Arkansas had been in marriage negotiations with our former monarch before her untimely demise, but he represented a wild card as well because I suspected his interest in their alliance was only a ruse in order to gain a more profitable territory. Vampire politics were usually nothing more than a deadly chess match where there could only be one winner, which was why I'd done my best to stay out of it as much as I could. I didn't want the headache of dealing with my own monarchy, even though I could've had one if I'd wanted it, and it only brought to mind the fact I hadn't been willing to work for it.

_Like I was willing to work for Sookie's affections._

However, adding the Weres to our fold would only work in our favor and seeing they all were still waiting for a reply, I answered, "Perhaps. Many Weres tend to gravitate to careers in the military, law enforcement, and construction so he might have deeper connections than just professional ones. I had a message from him when I first rose this evening, requesting we meet, but I haven't returned his call yet." I didn't want to go into any details as to the reasons why I'd thought he'd called initially, since Sookie had done such a stellar job of sparing her grandmother the details of our encounter with Lanier's group, and only said, "I assume Herveaux has already spoken to him and possibly that is the reason for his call."

I wasn't sure I could trust them fully either, no matter how much they would be paid for their service, so I looked back at her and asked, "Would you be able to read their thoughts to ensure their offer is sincere?"

I knew she had difficulty reading her shifter boss's thoughts, but her level of acuity the night before made me believe she could do almost anything. So I was bolstered somewhat when she nodded and said, "I think I can. I might have to touch them to be sure, but if anything I should be able to pick apart their emotional state and feel if they're hiding something."

Staring back at her, vampire politics and Were alliances were quickly forgotten, with my thoughts centering on what a truly wondrous creature she was. The synthetic blood held within the bottle in my hand did nothing to alleviate the ache I felt in wanting her. Seeing her blush under my intense gaze only made my fangs threaten to descend, but the sound of her grandmother's chuckle pulled me from my lustful thoughts, with Sookie blushing even more when she said, "Oh boy, you two have got it bad."

"Gran!" Sookie squeaked in embarrassment.

I could only grin, while I pulled my eyes away from her to come to rest on her grandmother, when I nodded, agreeing, "You have no idea."

Even I had a difficult time reconciling all of the feelings she managed to pull from me. I wanted her in ways I'd never wanted anyone and the things I was willing to do to make her mine left me without words. Which is why I may have silently gaped a little when Mrs. Stackhouse asked, "And what are your intentions for my granddaughter?"

While the woman still seemed accepting of my race, I wasn't sure that would extend to her granddaughter having any kind of relationship with a vampire. After the Great Revelation, it was the elder generation that had the most difficult time tolerating our existence and approval was completely unheard of. My eyes flicked back towards Sookie and I didn't need to be a telepath to hear her thoughts, simultaneously smirking, _'I told you so'_ and shouting, _'Don't you dare say future lover!'_ at the same time. Even Bubba seemed interested in my answer and as true as the latter statement would have been, I respected both her and her grandmother enough to not be so crass. Instead, I offered, "I have walked this earth for a thousand years. I have seen and done many things in that time, but I can honestly say nothing and no one has ever captivated me as your granddaughter has. My intention is to make her mine, but I know her well enough that she won't make it easy for me. The difference lies in the fact that this is the first time I am willing to do the work necessary to convince her otherwise."

My truthful words made Sookie gape at me in return before a small smile came upon her face, but I could also feel a twinge of arousal coming from her. However I couldn't explore that at the moment and we both felt varying degrees of shock when her grandmother chuckled and said, "Well then, good for you for knowing her so well. Personally, I think you're perfectly suited for one another." Seeing Sookie's bug-eyed expression – I would only admit to my brow being arched at her unexpected approval – she added, "Don't look at me like that young lady. You'd be lying if you said you haven't resigned yourself to living your life alone because you couldn't get away from hearing everyone's thoughts. You can't hear Eric's and he seems willing to overlook your hardheadedness. Even a blind man could see the chemistry between you two, so why not?" My unintentional snicker only drew her calculating gaze to me and I found myself straightening up in the chair as she added, "And as for you, I have a feeling you haven't come across many that didn't just fall at your feet and give those blue eyes anything they wanted. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the only challenge you've ever come across is on a battlefield, so Sookie's stubbornness is good for you too. You may have walked this earth for a thousand years, but I would be willing to bet having to go the extra mile to win her affections will be the longest of your existence. So it will be the most rewarding."

The woman was more perceptive than I cared to admit – I looked forward to the day Pam would be in the hot seat opposite her – and I was saved from having to form any sort of answer by the ringing telephone. Mrs. Stackhouse glared at it for interrupting us, but she still sounded graceful as she stood up and answered, "Stackhouse residence."

Sookie sat at my side like a proud peacock hearing her grandmother's all too accurate depiction of my experiences thus far, so like an ill-mannered child I looked away from her only to see Bubba staring at me. He nudged my elbow at his side, lifting his bottle of blood and taking another sip while he looked at me as though I should do the same.

_Perhaps I was delirious, still strapped to Lanier's table in the woods, and this was all a dream?_

That would make more sense than the reality I'd found myself in, but Mrs. Stackhouse's voice broke through my thoughts when I heard her say, "Maxine…you don't say. And Arlene has no idea where he's run off to? Well, it's sad to say, but it's not the first time a man has run off on her. I'm sure he's around _somewhere_."

_Pieces of him were, in any case._

She winked at us and paused again, with her eyebrow lifting up as she asked, "Reverend Newlin? _He's_ in town? Whatever for? Tonight? Where?" Hearing the hate monger's name made me tune in to both sides of their conversation and I watched as she continued to nod at what she was being told before she ended the call by saying, "Well maybe we'll see you over there. Bye now," and hung up.

"No," I said before she could even open her mouth.

But just like her granddaughter she didn't _give a damn_ either and ignored me to look at Sookie, saying, "Go change out of your uniform. We've got reconnaissance to do."

"What? Where?" Sookie asked, still standing up regardless of not hearing any answers to her questions, just as I repeated, "No."

The elder Stackhouse only acknowledged my statement with a flutter of her hand in my direction, saying, "Sookie's right. You _are_ a pill. Now hush."

_Hush?_

Since I _was_ inarguably _hushed_ at the moment, she turned to Sookie and explained, "That was Maxine. I'd call him a _wolf in sheep's clothing_, but that would be insulting to Were's. It seems _the good Reverend Newlin_ has come to town looking for several members of his flock who've gone missing." She raised her eyebrow at me before continuing with, "When Arlene got home and Rene hadn't turned up, she put in a call to the reverend and now he's having a meeting tonight to put out the call that vampires are up to some shenanigans. We're gonna go over there and see what other shenanigans _he's_ up to."

_Shenanigans?_

I felt like…_Bubba_. I couldn't make heads nor tails of the elder Stackhouse woman and I couldn't even blame it on a foreign blood tie. Her granddaughter was perplexing enough.

_But it was easy to see where she got it from._

"No, Mrs. Stackhouse," I said, standing up so I could glare down at them both. She was just as unfazed as her granddaughter at my tactics, but still I pressed on with, "It's not safe."

"Horse puck," she waved back at me. When I continued to silently scowl at her, she smiled innocently with a twinkle in her eye and said, "Why I'm just a _little old lady_. _Of course_ I'd be frightened to death of the _big mean scary vampires_ and my sweet little granddaughter and I want to know what's being done to keep us safe. Who better to hear it from than the Reverend Steve Newlin himself?"

_She had no idea of just how SWEET her little granddaughter was._

"It's not safe," I repeated and even Bubba managed to nod along with the veracity of my claim.

But Sookie jumped on her grandmother's bandwagon and said, "Nobody knows you're here. Other than Sam, nobody even has any idea we know _any_ vampires and he wouldn't say a word. If Maxine is there, she'll be asking enough questions of him that I won't have to say a thing at all and I could hear something that could help us."

I almost repeated her grandmother's words of _'horse puck'_ when she took a step closer and wrapped her arms around me, not caring we had an audience when my arms did the same. She leaned into my chest and tightened her embrace of me as she said, "We'll be fine. We can't ignore this opportunity when we have so much on the line."

_We._

It was the one word that still baffled me. I'd heard it not only from her, but from her grandmother as well. They'd both unexpectedly chosen the side that would undoubtedly see many of their own kind slaughtered, all for the simple fact they both believed they were doing what was right. Without being asked and with no benefit to be had for them, they chose to take it upon themselves to do what they could to help me save my child and others of my kind.

_Gratitude and worry warred within me._

She was right. Having her read Newlin's thoughts was an opportunity we shouldn't squander and had it been anyone else in the line of fire, I wouldn't have hesitated. Pam's survival was the tipping point and I could feel victory rise up within Sookie just as I felt my shoulders slump in defeat. But that feeling faltered within her when I said, "Fine. But first you'll take more of my blood."

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I got 5500 words written and they still hadn't even left the house, so I scrapped it and started all over again, getting waylaid by things like my son's birthday, which made him old enough to get the much coveted driver's license and gave me even more gray hair. For those of you who don't know, I live in New Jersey, but my town was left relatively unscathed by Hurricane Sandy, with us only losing power for about 25 hours. There are toppled trees galore and a lot of folks still don't have power, so please keep them in your thoughts as the nights here are only getting colder. The images from NYC and the Jersey shore are heartbreaking. I have a lot of fond memories from time spent in both places, but I have no doubt my fellow Northeasterners will persevere. We can be a rough and tumble lot (Have you ever heard our governor speak?), but when tragedy strikes the good in us all shines through. Just know that when all is well and good again, we'll go right back to cursing and honking our horns when you piss us off on the roadways. That's how you'll know everything truly is well and good. :) **

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I just gave them a different kind of storm to get through.**

Chapter Thirteen

**SPOV**

My shields were about as sturdy as a tissue paper umbrella in a hurricane as soon as we'd walked into the house, so I knew most of Gran's feelings on everything – from Eric walking in with me to having Elvis sitting across the kitchen table from her. But it was hearing her inner girlish swooning over the handsome King of Rock and Roll that had me trying to build my shields back up faster than a platoon of beavers attempting to stem the Mississippi.

_Some things I just didn't need to know about._

I probably wouldn't have even needed to dip into her thoughts when I told her most of what had happened in the short time she'd been gone. Her expression told me all I needed to know and I was proud I came from such worthwhile stock. Even Eric seemed taken by her – which truth be told, didn't surprise me much – but hearing him all but order me to take more of his blood _in front_ of her had me pinching his sides like I had any hope of making him shut up.

_And wish he had the gift of being able to turn back time – at the very least – so she wouldn't have heard him. It would certainly make rescuing Pam and the others much simpler._

"Sookie only said that vampire blood can heal humans if they're injured when she explained what those monsters are doing in Nevada. Why would you want to feed her your blood when she isn't hurt?" Gran asked and again, I didn't need to be a mind reader to know she wasn't keen on the idea. The only other use vampire blood had for humans – that the general public was aware of – was as a narcotic.

_Rene would have nothing on Gran. She would open up a can of whoop ass if we didn't set her straight right quick._

Unaware his final death was looming in our kitchen, Eric merely turned to her and explained, "When taken directly from the source, our blood allows us the ability to sense the human's emotions and their location. If Sookie were to be frightened or injured, I would know and be able to find her."

Never mind the things I'm sure he felt from me after our first exchange of blood. Just thinking about it had my face heating up, but since it seemed 'the grownups' were talking I just tried to blend in with the scenery before she opened her can of whoop ass on me.

"You said she should take _more_ of your blood. If she's already had it, then why would you want her to take more?" I shrank away a bit when she turned her eyes towards me until she asked with concern, "Were you hurt?"

_Good lord, Gran never missed a thing…_

"No Gran. I'm fine," I tried to reassure her, while wracking my brain for a way to explain without explaining, _'Eric wanted me to have it just in case something went wrong when we hunted down the Fellowship soldiers and killed them all last night.'_

_So. Not. Happening._

Eric came to my rescue – perhaps thanks to me already having had some of his blood and he could feel my turbulent emotions – so he offered, "I gave Sookie a small quantity of my blood last night in the event she might have need of my assistance, but it was a minute amount. If the two of you insist on doing your _reconnaissance_ then I would feel better having a stronger link to her. Taking my blood a second time would make her stronger, would allow me to feel her over greater distances, and give me more insight into what she's feeling. In spite of all of that, now that we know how much of a danger Newlin is, if she feels threatened in any way, I won't hesitate to _right_ that _wrong_."

Gran's eyes widened at his implied threat, but she seemed to come to terms with it just as quickly. It made me wonder just what else she'd inferred from our earlier conversation about Rene and Gabe, but I'd been too busy trying to skirt my own way around it all to pay attention to her thoughts. Now, however, I could hear her thinking, _"Good to know,"_ but all she said was, "Well then, that makes sense. So I won't call you out on the fact you'll be able to better feel if your charms are working on her."

_Hey…wait a minute…_

Realizing she was right and seeing the scowl now on my face, she smiled and added, "We'll leave you two to bicker it out." Turning to our still silent guest, she asked with delight, "Bubba, would you care to accompany me into the living room while we wait?" I didn't even have the time to feel affronted over her dismissal – or her all too accurate suspicions – before he stood up and was at her side in a flash, with her looping her arm through the elbow he'd extended towards her. They continued to ignore the two of us as she led him from the room while saying, "I have a coffee table book full of pictures of cats with the funniest sayings. You said you liked them, right?"

"Why yes I do, Adele," he replied affably, while shooting a look of longing in Tina's direction. The unmistakable timber of his voice was left unchanged with his turning and hearing it echo down the hallway made a shiver work its way down my spine – both from the sound and the unspoken implication – as they disappeared from sight. However hearing the effect it had on Gran – something akin to what I'd internally dubbed the Eric-effect – made me jump right back out of her head.

Yes, Gran was a woman. Yes, she had been widowed for a very long time. Yes, they would've been roughly the same age had he still been human, but…

_Eewww…Not. Going. There._

Instead I threw my shields up and turned to face Mr. Big Mouth, chiding, "What is wrong with you?" He still looked amused, but tried to morph his expression into one of pure innocence. It was a wasted effort since I was sure the last time he was _that_ innocent his umbilical cord was still attached, so I ignored that too and asked, "Why do I need your blood again? I just had it last night. Is it wearing off already?" It wasn't like I knew the ins and outs of vampire/human blood ties, but knowing why other people coveted it, I added, "I won't become addicted to it, will I?"

Eric's lips formed into a small grin – more sexified than amused – and replied, "Lover, you say that as though you aren't _already_ addicted to me."

That answered at least part of my question.

_Nothing had worn off. He could definitely still feel my emotions._

I did feel addicted to him – his _presence_ at least – but I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of admitting it out loud. Nor was I going to clarify his _'Lover'_ moniker by adding a _'Future'_ to it – again – and instead haughtily huffed, "The only part of that sentence you got right was _a dick_ and _you_."

After everything from the night before, my moral character was in shambles, so I figured I had nothing to lose by lining my hand basket to Hell in shoddy insults.

_No point in standing in line outside of Satan's gate when I could jump to the front._

Eric's grin turned into a full blown smile as he scooped me up into his arms and kissed his way across my neck, lining my panties with something other than insults, and whispered into my ear, "I don't know whether to be angry or pleased since I can tell you're not lying."

I tried to ignore the Eric-effect storm brewing in between my thighs and said, "I have an idea. How about you be _direct_ instead of _evasive_ and just answer my damn questions."

It seemed to be his turn to ignore me because that's just what he did for a long moment. Choosing instead to try and turn the Eric-effect storm brewing down below into a full blown category five hurricane, with nothing more than his lips and nose skimming their way across key spots on my neck.

_His thousand years of experience showed._

Just when I'd nearly forgotten what we'd been talking about – or why we were still dressed – he pulled back and simply said, "No."

_Huh?_

"Our tie has not diminished, but it will over time. With your insistence on going to Nevada, I still would have insisted you take my blood again. It will make our connection stronger – make _you_ stronger. Taking it again tonight only speeds up the timetable, nothing more," he casually explained.

"So that's all?" I asked, trying to get my brain to cooperate when he'd all but puddled my body. It made sense that he would want me to have it again before we jumped head on into the mess that awaited us in Nevada, but still, I added, "I can just drink your blood willy nilly and there won't be any other ramifications?"

He stiffened hearing my questions, which only served to sober me up. I trusted him to tell me the truth, but that didn't mean I hadn't learned he could be sneaky with the best of them. My overinflated bank account was proof of that and I watched as his eyes darted away from my own suspicious ones when he finally admitted, "No."

_Gah…it was like pulling teeth trying to get any answers from him._

I pulled myself away from him completely to cross my arms over my chest and let my expression do the talking, with my eyes practically shouting, _'No…what?'_

His own eyes came back to narrow at me when he begrudgingly answered, "_If_ we were to exchange blood three times…we would be _permanently_ bonded to one another."

_Say WHAT?_

"_Permanently?_" I repeated since my brain was caught on that one word like a skipping record. I liked Eric and all – a lot even – but talking about a permanent _anything_ together was more that my exhausted brain could wrap itself around. It was too soon to be talking about forever and I could already feel myself starting to panic, which is probably why I uselessly tried to push his arms off when he wrapped his own around me again.

I might as well have been trying to push his archaic _'mine'_ mindset into the twenty-first century for all the good it did me, but he refused to let go and merely soothed, "I'm not asking you to bond with me – _for now_. I was merely answering your question. Taking my blood for a second time tonight will do nothing more than what I've already explained."

"_For now?_" I asked, giving voice to my brain's newest hiccup. All thoughts of evil pastors and horrific government conspiracies disappeared for a moment, with my sole focus being Eric. No matter how insistent he was in calling me his _future lover_, just because he said it didn't make it true. _If_ that were to happen – and it was a mighty big _if_ – I was certain whatever future relationship we had would have an expiration date. I just couldn't truly let myself believe there was anything more to Eric's attraction to me than situation and circumstance.

_For now…I was the only woman he could be around._

_For now…he needed me to feed him my blood to make him strong._

_For now…he needed me to shelter him._

_For now…he needed my telepathy to help him free Pam._

_So what would happen when our situation and circumstances changed?_

My fight or flight instincts were still duking it out, with my panic levels having yet to drop. And even though I was sure he could feel all of that coming from me, he still managed to smile and say, "Lover, I'm not asking you for your hand if that is what is troubling you. But if you'd like to loan it to me, I know just where I would put it."

He rubbed his front against me at the same time, letting me know _exactly_ where he had in mind.

_And he had a very dirty mind._

But it was enough to calm me down so that a small grin was able to crack its way through my panicky exterior and he soothed me even more by saying, "We will figure it out together, but _for now_ I still want you to have my blood a second time. I'm already going against my better judgment by allowing you to be in the line of fire on my behalf, but I _will_ take every precaution to ensure your safety."

My insides bristled over his use of the word _'allow'_, but I wasn't so pigheaded to not admit that the thought of him knowing I needed him to swoop in to save me should something go wrong was definitely a pro versus con on the list of reasons to take his blood again. Being a _smart_ woman and a _kept_ woman were two very different things in my book, but the old adage _'Be careful what you wish for'_ came to mind. I'd always wanted to be normal and now I was getting that in spades. My telepathy had both spoiled and jaded me when it came to interacting with anyone else, but now it would be up to me to decide to trust him with my heart. If what he'd said was true, then we wouldn't be tied together forever – just for now. And considering he had no reason to lie to me, I decided to take that leap of faith and trust him at least that far.

_After all, tomorrow wasn't guaranteed. _

All we had was today and today I had a hate monger to listen in to. So I pushed thoughts of forever out of my mind, replacing them simply with _for now_, and agreed, "Okay," and then added, "You should eat too."

He hadn't touched the Tru Blood Gran had given him and Eric didn't seem to want to give me any time to change my mind because he reached over and grabbed the paring knife from the drawer. At the same time he sat down in a chair, pulling me down with him so that I was sitting in his lap. "What are you doing?" I asked as he poised the tip of the knife at the side of his neck.

The last time I'd had his blood I'd taken it from his wrist, so that was what I was expecting now. But his earlier sexified smile overtook his face when he replied, "I'm offering you something different in _presentation_."

I suddenly had the strange sensation of being Eve in the Garden of Eden, with Eric playing the role of the snake. But even so, I snorted unexpectedly because his vampire 'apple' blood offering was too closely linked in my mind to another vampire.

_A sparkly one._

Again he didn't seem to want to wait for any explanations on what I found so amusing and instead sliced a two inch gash into his neck. My gasp over the suddenness of it all was the only thing he needed to get the first few drops into my mouth by pushing my head against the wound. In direct contradiction to his self-inflicted violence, I heard him softly whisper, "Drink, lover."

_And in direct contradiction to all of my earlier hemming and hawing, I drank. With gusto._

As soon as I drew his blood into my mouth, every thought in my head fell away. I hadn't been grossed out taking his blood the first time and now was no different. That same need I'd felt before resurfaced like a tsunami, filling my body just as quickly as his blood filled my mouth. I no longer knew anything but my desire for him – I wanted more of him.

_All of him._

I only realized I'd moved to straddle his body when I felt my legs wrap around his waist, with Eric's arms wrapping around my body and pressing me close. I couldn't tell where I ended and he began, but when I felt his fangs slide into my neck, nothing else mattered. Pulling his blood into my body while he did the same made it feel as though we were one being connected by one heartbeat.

_My heartbeat._

But my heart wasn't the only organ between us that was throbbing. I could feel something else pulsing in between our two bodies further down and I automatically moved against it, with Eric's hands grabbing onto my hips to help me along. I was a twenty-five year old virgin in every sense of the word and while I wasn't ready to hand over my V-card just yet, I couldn't stop myself from seeking the relief my body was crying out for. Nothing had ever felt as good as what I was feeling now and a small part of my brain knew Gran was only in the next room, but I couldn't stop any of it. I could feel the freight train barreling down the track and I released his neck just as his wound closed, pulling in the lungful of air needed to cry out with my climax when Eric's lips sealed themselves over my own with him swallowing the sound, while his body shuddered with his release underneath me. My hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair to keep him there, not ready to let any part of him go just yet, with Eric doing the same.

Our passion filled kiss slowed in direct correlation to the pounding of my heart until finally he pulled away, softly warning, "Lover, you test my restraint."

_Right back at ya, vampire…_

Perhaps I'd been too nervous when I'd had his blood the night before to notice the effect his blood had on me then, but now I felt hyper-aware...of everything. Eric's still form was a stark contrast to the dust motes I could now see floating around us as clearly as the fat rain drops of a summer storm. The still-wild beating in my chest thundered like Edgar Allan Poe's own Tell Tale Heart. And even though I knew Eric could locate me with his blood alone, I realized my own body's compulsory functions would give me away to any Supernatural nearby, no matter how silent I tried to be. Even my sense of smell was enhanced well enough that Gran's familiar scent wafted over me as though she was hovering right at my side instead of the next room, but when I finally set my gaze on Eric, prepared to ask if my reactions were normal, I got lost in the blue of his eyes.

_The color blue had never looked so fiery before._

I could've blamed his blood for the lust flowing through me like lava igniting my veins, but I knew that would've been a lie. I had wanted him – like I'd never wanted anyone – well before the first drop had ever passed my lips and my mind felt scattered, so I was thankful Eric spoke first. He derailed what my body was screaming out for, despite the tremors of my previous climax still rocking through me, when he said, "Your grandmother is waiting. We should get going."

Hearing him mention Gran was like being doused with a welcome bucket of ice water and I shook off my stupor before shakily pulling myself to my feet. Without another word, I silently left the room and went upstairs to change out of my uniform. The distance did little to tame my urges, but seeing Gran when I came downstairs again was enough to put a lid on it. Her eyes danced as she looked back at me and I automatically tried to straighten my appearance when I read from her thoughts that I looked 'frazzled.' But at least she had the grace not to mention it and only said, "Took you long enough. Now let's get going. Hopefully Maxine saved us a couple of seats up front."

I blindly walked after her, feeling as frazzled as I apparently looked, and didn't have the brain power to ask where Bubba had disappeared to. Eric followed us out to my car and after he helped Gran into the passenger's side he darted back over to me, scooping me into his arms and planting a kiss on my lips. And thereby killing a few more of my brain cells before saying, "I will be close by. If I sense you are in danger, I will come for you."

And just as quickly I was left swaying on my feet as he shot up into the darkened sky and out of sight. It took me another long minute before I had my wits about me enough to climb into the car where Gran just chuckled at me, but she left me to my own thoughts seemingly lost in her own. The drive to the volunteer fire house where the meeting was being held only took a few minutes, but it was long enough for me to shake off most of the damage Hurricane Eric had left in its wake from my head and we arrived to find a packed parking lot despite getting there somewhat early.

Gran's eyes took in the crowd while she shook her head in disgust, harshly saying, "I'm ashamed to see just how much hatred there is in our little town."

Seeing them all was enough to rid me of any lingering lustful feelings I had, but thanks to my _gift, _I wasn't surprised at all. If anything, I would be surprised if more people didn't show up and even though Gran had possibly been aggrandizing the size of our town by calling Bon Temps 'little', there did seem to be a lot more people in the crowd than I recognized. After I found a place to park, we made our way towards the building, with me catching snippets of conversations along the way, while I tried to surreptitiously locate Eric, but our blood tie only seemed to be one-sided. It wasn't until I opened myself up and concentrated on trying to locate his void – and found him hovering just out of sight above the building – that I realized the spoken words of those gathered there only showed a fraction of the fear, anger, and disgust they had towards vampires. It made an entirely different kind of shiver work its way down my spine, but just as quickly my own fear and disgust at their thoughts turned into nothing but anger.

And shame.

_Did we learn nothing from the Holocaust or the Civil Rights movement? Were we destined to repeat the same atrocities over and over again, ignoring what our own history had taught us about the barbarism our ancestors inflicted on their fellow man?_

I didn't want to believe our society would sink so low yet again, but I knew all too well that some of us already had. Some of _us_ were doing horrible and unspeakable things to sentient beings at that very moment and it was that thought that had me straighten my spine, with determination filing my veins. I would never be able to stand idly by knowing what I did and not try to stop it, whether Eric was in my life or not. So in spite of the bile in my throat, I managed to plaster a smile onto my face as I nodded kindly to some of the people I'd known my whole life, while internally spewing my own hatred back at them. I could already hear the usual _'Here comes Crazy Sookie'_ thoughts as well, but I automatically disregarded anything that had to do with me. That was nothing new, so I ignored them instead to proudly escort my impossibly brave and incredibly tolerant Gran into the lion's den.

The air felt electric as soon as we stepped through the doors. The cacophony of the crowd's thoughts thundered through my head, but I pressed on trying to weed through the unspoken ruminations of those around me. The general consensus was that Steve Newlin was a modern day messiah who would lead the human race to victory in a war we had no business fighting.

_And my urge to vomit grew._

Gran must have sensed my difficulty because she gently squeezed my hand while sparing me a look of sympathy before Maxine caught her eye. It was a welcome distraction because with the way she was waving her arms one could expect a 747 to land down the center aisle of the crammed room, but we managed to squeeze through the throng of haters to find she had managed to save two seats for us. I could tell from her thoughts that while she feared vampires, Maxine was only there to get the gossip firsthand so she could no doubt spin it to everyone in her path the following day. She was a busybody, but I didn't believe she would condone what was being done to them if she knew and that was what gave me the fortitude to smile genuinely at her when I greeted, "Mrs. Fortenberry, it's good to see you again."

"Hello Sookie darling," she returned before patting the empty seat next to her where Gran sat down. Maxine leaned in saying, "Isn't it exciting? There are _television crews_ outside! Did you see them? I called Hoyt and told him to record the evening news because his mama got interviewed just like a celebrity!"

She was gushing out every word and I could read from her thoughts she was already planning her wardrobe for when – not _if_ – she would be interviewed again, but at least her narcissism was more tolerable than the other thoughts floating around the room. Gran humored her by asking all about it while I tried to sift through the tangled snarl in my head, but I stiffened hearing the thoughts of who was just on the other side of the closed office door.

_Steve Newlin._

It was only a few seconds later when that same door was thrown open and he strode through it like a rock star wearing a thousand dollar suit. The crowd erupted into applause and he would give any seasoned politician a run for his money with the way he worked the room, grasping outstretched hands and kissing babies. But all the while his thoughts fluctuated between being snide – the citizens of Bon Temps were apparently redneck rubes – and the downright venomous – human or vampire, whoever was responsible for his soldiers' disappearance would meet their maker if he had his way.

_It only made me impatient for when he would meet Pam's Maker._

That thought was enough to get me through the vitriol I was about to suffer and I settled into my seat focusing not my _curse_, but my _gift_ on the man who would hopefully and unknowingly be the downfall of his ill-conceived Armageddon. As he made his way back to the front of the room and started his righteous spiel, I once again had the sensation of being Eve in the Garden of Eden, only now I knew who the slick-tongued imposter before me was as I watched him slither behind his pulpit of lies and loathing.

_Without a doubt, I knew I was staring at the Devil himself._

**Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long. My only excuse is holiday fuckery and my mother's inconsiderate disappearance for ten days of her three week trip back to her home country of Vietnam. No calls. No word. Nothing. I, however, now have the contact information to the US Embassy in Hanoi if that says anything. So, when she gets back just in time for Christmas she's getting her passport shredded and a punch in the face. Ho fucking ho.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. But I'm going to own my mother's ass in just a few more days.**

Chapter Fourteen

**EPOV**

_Bonding…_

Had someone posed the question to me even a week earlier – or at least in the days before I'd been captured by Lanier – I would have laughed my ass off before relieving them of their head, only to laugh even harder as it rolled across the floor.

_But now…_

Now I only had logic to deter me from that path, but it was weak when put up against the oddly powerful and quickly all-consuming desire I had to make Sookie _completely_ mine. Coveting her delectable blood and wanting to fuck her into oblivion aside, something kept pulling me towards her making any distance between us leave behind an unpleasant prickly sensation.

_More like unnerving, the likes of which I'd never experienced nor could I explain, although I would never admit it to anyone. _

I was stronger than that and more so, I hadn't survived for a thousand years by being foolish enough to become attached to a human. Humans were fragile. They were weak. Even the oldest of their kind had only lived a tenth of my lifetime and before now I never would've entertained the thought of bonding to any one of them.

But now it was quickly becoming _all_ I could think about.

But before now, I'd never come across anyone like Sookie. Nor was she just _anyone_.

Twin urges pulsed through me with one wanting to fly at top speed, hoping the sheer velocity would clear my head, but it warred with the other half of me that wouldn't – _couldn't_ – leave Sookie undefended. Even now, staring down at her piece of shit car, it mocked me from below. All but taunting me with the fact that it would only take an errant tree branch, a deer darting into her path, or her own too slow human reflexes for her to be killed. Even attempting to repair any damage done would either result in a permanent bond she had already panicked over or her becoming my more than likely unwilling child. Neither topic was one I cared to think about, only because I knew I could easily become sidetracked from our tasks, sorting through the whys on both sides.

The battle between those two urges lasted until we reached the meeting place, with me never being more than a hundred yards away from her. So it was easy to ascertain which side had won the war, but just seeing her step from the car eased the invisible yoke I could now feel loosening around my throat.

_And once again I knew I was well and truly fucked._

And once again, I refused to admit it – even to myself – so as soon as Sookie was inside the building and I could no longer see her, I was left with nothing but her emotions to monitor her wellbeing and the knowledge she'd willingly surrounded herself with dangerous fools for my benefit alone. I still had a difficult time reconciling the fact she was so willing to help me – eager even – but for some strange reason, feeling her irritation with her present company eased my own. So I flew to a nearby tree where I set down in the upper branches out of sight and pulled out my phone to call the Long Tooth Packmaster.

"Flood," he answered in a clipped bark.

"Northman," I replied just as warmly.

"Herveaux called me this afternoon," he began and then left the statement hanging there.

_Did he use a dog whistle?_

I had no way of knowing if his intention was to dress me down for the events of the night before, along with my treatment of his Were, or if an alliance would be on the table. So I bit back my snide thoughts and merely offered, "Just as you called me. I'm not a mind reader."

_But I know one._

And zeroing in on her emotional state, I found Sookie was pissed.

_She and Pam would get along well if they didn't kill each other first._

His sigh into the phone brought my attention back to our call while he said, "He tells me you all have a…_unique_ situation on your hands. One that might spread to our neck of the woods if we don't get a handle on it."

"Perhaps," I offered, not knowing if Weres were made known to the Fellowship yet. Torture techniques worked on some vampires just as they did on some humans, so there was no telling what they'd been able to learn over the previous weeks. If their existence had been outed, it was only a matter of time before their kind would be included in the Fellowship's fuckery as well. But not knowing the specifics of Sookie's conversation with the Were, I asked, "How much do you know?"

"Enough to be concerned for me and mine, but not enough to know whether I should be evacuating them to the Alaskan wilderness or stockpiling ammo in preparation for doomsday."

The next sigh into the phone came from my end as I pondered over sharing what we'd learned from the Fellowship soldiers with the Weres. Thanks to the debacle in Area 9, relations between our two species had never been more fractured than they were now, but prior to that I always had a begrudging respect for the Colonel and I suspected he'd felt the same. Considering what we were up against, their assistance would be invaluable in any rescue attempt, so I decided to take a chance and offered, "I am holding a meeting tonight at ten with the remaining vampires in my area to go over everything we've learned and to formulate a plan. You and yours are welcome to attend."

The particulars weren't something I was willing to discuss over the phone. Knowing the government was a part of the problem, I had no way of knowing if they were monitoring telephone traffic.

"Where?" he asked without hesitation and it was the lack of it that made me feel more assured in including him on our plans.

"Herveaux knows," I replied. "It's the same location where I had him meet me last night."

I'd already notified everyone I could get a hold of the night before while Sookie slept alongside of me. There weren't nearly as many vampires left in my area as I once had, but I suspected many of them fled when Fangtasia was burned to the ground and I hadn't been heard from in the following days.

_Or possibly they too had been captured by the religious zealots._

"See you then," he offered and then ended the call, leaving me with nothing left to do but concentrate on Sookie's emotions.

Enraged. Abhorred. Disgusted. They were all flowing through her veins, but above them all was an overwhelming sense of determination.

And vengeance.

Even after everything I'd witnessed – every action and reaction she'd made in the previous days – it still boggled my mind, trying to reconcile the demure young lady she appeared to be with the warrior spirit I could feel within her. Had she been vampire, I wouldn't have cause to think twice why she acted as she had, but she wasn't.

She was human.

Mostly.

That little puzzle piece had yet to be solved, but there was no way her blood was _purely_ human. I thought perhaps her grandmother would be able to offer more insight into the possibilities, but considering her wide-eyed wonder over the existence of Weres, I doubted she knew. Unlike her granddaughter, her scent wasn't marked with the same sweetness Sookie's had, so I was sure it hadn't come from her. And Sookie would've likely overheard otherwise from her thoughts over the years if her grandmother had known about any supernatural ancestors.

I had bigger problems to contend with than what dangled from Sookie's family tree, so I refocused my thoughts on what needed to be done in order to free my child, while waiting for the hate monger's meeting to end. It only lasted an hour or so before the crowd's cheers exploded from the room, signaling it had come to a close, and another thirty minutes before they began to disperse. One by one they left the building in groups of two's and three's, but Sookie and her grandmother weren't among them. Had it not been for my blood running through her veins – telling me she was physically fine, if not emotionally ill – I would've stormed the building, but instead I waited.

And waited.

_For-fucking-ever._

The parking lot was nearly bare when at last I saw them exit the building, but my relief was short-lived when I saw Newlin right behind them. A red haze clouded my eyesight with my fangs snapping down and I had to bite back the growl that threatened to escape my throat seeing Sookie turn and hug the man. Had I not known her – not known her true motives for being there and being able to feel her revulsion – I could've easily surmised she was one of his flock.

_But she wasn't. She couldn't be because she was mine, whether she knew it or not._

The smile on her face belied the churning in her gut, but it was feeling that from her that eased the tension in my white-knuckled fists. In my mind's eye I recalled the large pond that sat halfway between her home and the meeting place, with me wanting to rip her from his arms and bathe her in it to rid her of his scent she would now carry. But I stayed that urge as well and only watched. And waited.

The preacher whispered something into her ear that I couldn't hear from where I now hovered in the darkness above the rooftop, but she tossed her head back with a laugh and said, "I'm looking forward to it."

According to my blood_ that_ was a genuine statement. And it would needle at me until I could get an explanation from her.

A rotund woman with a loud voice thankfully broke into their interlude as she exited the doorway. I recognized her voice to be Maxine from Mrs. Stackhouse's earlier phone call and while the preacher appeared perturbed at her disruption, little did he know it likely lengthened his lifespan.

_Although, not by much._

Sookie felt as relieved as I did when she was finally freed of his embrace and quickly ushered her grandmother to their vehicle. Her eyes darted to the night sky, exactly where I was still hovering out of sight, before climbing in the car herself and starting for their home. The two mile drive seemed to take forever and my imagination ran wild when my eyes lingered on the pond as we passed it by. Thoughts of drowning the preacher in its depths – giving him his deserved baptism into the supernatural world – would have been a real possibility had I not wanted him to experience the pain that was due him.

_Drowning would be too kind a death for the likes of him._

With the length of the Fellowship meeting and Sookie's extended stay inside, it was already nearing ten o'clock by the time we reached her home, but Bubba was opening her grandmother's door before she even had the car in park. I'd sent him back to my primary home to retrieve my clothing – I seemed to be having difficulty lately in keeping them free of cum whenever Sookie was near – and saw my bag waiting on the porch next to the backdoor.

I was on Sookie before her eyes could even register my presence and pulled her from the car, snarling lowly at the scent of who I assumed was the preacher now covering her skin.

"Explain," I growled, while my possessive nature had me rubbing myself against her in a vain attempt at removing it.

"Eric!" she squeaked into my chest. Her embarrassment flooded through our blood tie and I gathered she likely didn't appreciate her grandmother viewing what would appear to be my molestation of her body.

Too fucking bad.

"_What_, exactly, were you _looking forward to_ when you were speaking to Newlin?"

Thanks to my blood in her system, I'd known she only felt disgust when touching him, but that hadn't eased the prickling sensation underneath my skin upon hearing her words. It made me realize had we already completed a bond, there was a strong likelihood I would be hiding the preacher's body at that very moment. That thought brought my murderous mind back into the realm of sanity because while I'd like nothing better than to kill Newlin – slowly – I first needed to know what Sookie had been able to learn. His premature death could have dire consequences when it came to figuring out how to free Pam and the others, so I reined in my need to tear him limb from limb.

_Starting first with his hands and then his arms, removing piece by piece each part of his body that had dared to touch her._

My furious eyes met her equally incensed ones, while I silently demanded an explanation. Enough time had passed I thought perhaps we'd reached an impasse. And hearing the others quietly gathering across the cemetery, while Bubba escorted a chuckling Mrs. Stackhouse into their home, I nearly broke our standoff when she finally offered in a hissed out whisper, "That _jackass_ took a liking to _my boobs_ and invited _them_ to visit the Fellowship headquarters in Dallas. I got from his head he's going to be making a bid for governor and will be announcing his intention to run at their service this Sunday. He whispered in my ear that he'd like to take me out to dinner that night which was code for _fucking me_. When I said, _'I'm looking forward to it,'_ I was thinking _he_ could be _your_ dinner."

My chest was vibrating – as was my whole body – hearing what he wanted to do to _My Sookie_. My fangs had angrily snapped down as soon as she'd said _boobs_,but even with them inches from her face she felt no fear. She was pissed and didn't attempt to hide it when she stabbed her finger into my chest and angrily butted her body against my own, asking, "Now. Tell me – _what_, exactly, did you _think_ I was talking about."

Hearing his plans for fucking her felt far worse than anything else I had imagined she would gather from his thoughts, but instead of telling her that.

I showed her.

In an instant her back was pressed against her piece of shit car, with my mouth, hands, and body on hers. She only resisted for a moment before she too had wrapped what she could of herself around me. It was spectacular and tortuous all at the same time. All I wanted to do was rip her clothes from her skin and claim her body.

Right here.

Right now.

"You're not going to meet him – at his _church_ or for _dinner_," I growled against her skin once I'd had no choice but to release her lips from mine so she could breathe. My hands automatically ran straight to her breasts, kneading them in my hands, and relishing the sound of her whimper as she arched into my touch.

"Like hell I'm not," she panted in return, pulling the neck of my shirt down and scraping her teeth against my chest.

She couldn't have known how much danger she was in and Newlin had nothing to do with it. With every flick of her tongue she pushed me that much closer to giving up control of myself. I wanted her too much. The smell of her arousal. The heat of her body. The feel of her lust colliding with mine.

It was all too much.

I paid no mind to where we were – to who could be watching. Even the mere mention another man had thoughts of claiming her body – much less _Newlin_ – threatened to drive me mad and I gave not a single fuck about anything at that moment but for what I wanted. What _she_ wanted.

And she wanted_ me._

Her swollen lips pulled in deep breaths as she killed me one nibble at a time, but I couldn't think of a better way to meet my true death. I pressed my body closer to hers and slid my hands up underneath her shirt, running my thumbs over her hardened nipples and asking, "Did you learn anything else besides his affinity for these?"

_Perhaps he would lose his eyes first for daring to even look at them._

"No," she huffed in aggravation, either at his earlier thoughts or at my insistence in questioning her now, when it was obvious she'd rather I put my mouth to other uses.

_Which was exactly what she then did._

Maybe it was my tunnel vision that began and ended with her. Perhaps it was my blood that allowed her movements to be that much faster. But all I know was my shirt was off my body and dangling from her hands when her teeth bit down over my nipple and I felt the last of my control slipping away.

Until the cold water hit us.

She screeched in surprise and it took a second for my lust addled brain to process it all, but just as quickly the spray of water disappeared. I looked for the source, knowing the skies had been clear, and saw Bubba standing a few feet away with the smoking gun in his hand.

Or rather, the dripping nozzle of a garden hose.

I may have expected something like that from Pam, but he was in very real danger of dying for a second time. My body turned towards him, but before I could even bare my fangs, he smiled like a dolt and halted my progress by saying, "Sorry Mr. Eric, but Miss Adele said to turn the hose on y'all if any clothes started comin' off."

_Fucking simpleton. He always did follow orders well…_

Sookie's skin, cooled by the water, quickly warmed up from the heat of her embarrassment as she pushed me away and held my now drenched shirt out to me. Without meeting my eyes, she said, "I'm just gonna go change," and mumbled the word, "again," on her way back into the house.

_Where she was greeted by her grandmother's laughter._

That coupled with seeing the flash of headlights from Compton's land made me resist the urge to follow after her. The Were's were arriving and I needed to get over there before feathers – or fur – could become ruffled. There were plans to make – _and_ _lecherous preachers to torture_ – so _this_ would have to wait_, _but it was likely my fangs would be down for the remainder of the evening.

_Unlike my cock._

I darted over to where Bubba had left my bag, changing into dry clothes as well, thanks to his ability to also follow _my_ orders. But after seeing for myself the way he'd been charmed by the elder Stackhouse woman, it was easy to guess where I now stood in the queue of who he would take orders from.

Rather than going inside to face either Mrs. Stackhouse's scorn or bemusement, I waited for Sookie in the yard because it was likely the woman would be subjected to either one of those things from me if I entered the house. When Sookie emerged minutes later with her wet hair pulled up into a ponytail, my eyes were automatically drawn to her neck that was now on display. My fangs had managed to retract in her absence, but my cock had not and knowing we would be in the presence of others of my kind had me wanting to pull the rubber band from her hair.

_Her bare neck would only make her more irresistible._

She ignored my predatory stare to walk right by me, acting as though nothing was amiss, and casually offered, "So all Newlin thought about during his spiel was how the crowd was like putty in his hands. He's a narcissistic son of a bitch and no matter what was spouting from his mouth about his fallen soldiers, all he was _thinking_ about was if he should get his hair trimmed before his announcement and what tie would go best with his new pinstriped suit. He was using us to try out some of his new moves to gauge what worked and what didn't for when he makes his intention to run for governor, public."

Just hearing his name again had my thoughts running back to what _else_ he wanted to _try to make a move on_, so I matched her stride and reiterated, "You _are not_ meeting him for dinner."

"Oh, but I _am_," she replied completely unfazed. "For someone as old as you are, you sure do have a short attention span. Can vampires get Alzheimer's?" Her easy strides turned into full-fledged stomping, with her casual tone becoming determined as she proclaimed, "I told you earlier, I am my own woman and I'll do what I want."

She had the ability to make me both enraged and kowtowed with her blatant disregard for my position. Granted, she was a human, not vampire, so she couldn't fully comprehend who or what I was. She'd also seen me at my weakest and – I suspected – knew she was _my_ weakness, but I also knew that wasn't why she chose to ignore my orders.

It was because she didn't give a damn – about _any_ of it.

_And her grandmother had been correct in surmising getting Sookie to agree to be mine would be the longest mile traveled of my existence._

But no matter how much her words threatened to ruin my third pair of jeans in one night, I couldn't have her speaking to me that way in front of the others because she _didn't_ fully comprehend who or what I was. Her planned _date_ with Newlin could be argued over later, but this couldn't wait, so I put my hand out to halt her steps and allowed Bubba to pass us by on his way to Compton's so that we could have a moment in relative privacy.

"Sookie, while I appreciate your…_candor_," I began and paused, momentarily distracted by the sight of her breasts encased in her fitted t-shirt, heaving with every angry breath she took. I wanted to tear it from her body and make them heave for an entirely different reason, but instead I attempted to shake off my lust and forced my eyes to hers, explaining, "You can't speak to me as you normally do in front of the others." Her mouth automatically opened with what I was sure would be her protest – after all, I _was_ speaking to _Sookie_ – so I cut off her objection, by adding softly, "Lover, trust me when I say I look forward to each and every word uttered from your lips, no matter how much they tend to argue with me. But our worlds are very different. To allow you to speak to me as you normally do would be viewed as a weakness on my behalf. I would lose the respect of the others present and I need them to follow my orders without question if I am going to be able to save Pam. Even your shifter told you, you don't understand how the supernatural world works and he was right. I am in a position of authority amongst vampires and in the eyes of vampires, humans are on the bottom of the food chain."

Her mouth shut so violently I could hear the click of her teeth snapping together, only for it to open up again and with her harshly whispering out, "And _that_ right there is exactly why we're in this pickle to begin with. Because of vampires acting like they're above _everyone else_ – Gods and laws be damned – some measly little _humans_ have risen up to show them a thing or two. We are _not weak_ and we will go to _extraordinary lengths_ when we're backed into a corner – be it by vampires or our very own kind. You all need to realize just how deep in the shit you are right now because _humans_ don't _need_ vampires in order to _survive_. You all can't say the same, so if _we_ can't start trying to see each other's side right here and right now, then there's really no use in trying to free everyone. There'd be no point because we'd only go right back to where this all started to begin with. Any hope we had in trying to make a positive difference would already be lost."

_Did I mention I appreciated her candor?_

Her body was shaking with the uncompromising conviction I could feel flowing through her, so I wrapped her in my arms and placed my lips on her forehead, whispering my realization with, "You're right." Her tension eased somewhat hearing my agreement, but knowing the others wouldn't be as easily swayed – they couldn't possibly value her as much as I did – I added, "But I would still appreciate it if you at least gave the _appearance_ of respecting me when we're in front of the others tonight. I agree change is needed on both sides, but it won't come quickly or easily. And for now they need to be focused on what lies ahead of us instead of why their sheriff is so enamored by a human. I don't want to make your gift known to them, but I can't think of any way around it considering I plan to have you with me throughout. They'll need an explanation on why we all need to listen to what you have to say, so if you want to keep your secret, you need to go back home now and wait for me to return. Once they know you're a telepath there'll be no way to un-ring that bell. I'll make it known to all of them that you're under my protection and they'll be able to pick up the scent of my blood flowing through you, but your own natural scent and beauty already makes you desirable. Knowledge of your gift will make you sought after by every supernatural who learns of you."

It would kill me to leave her behind, but she needed to understand the true danger she was in by revealing herself to the supernatural world. There were few who could best me in any battle and I would protect her against any and all threats, but I would not expose her secret without her knowing the ramifications of divulging her gift.

As I expected, her body immediately tensed, but just as quickly her arms wrapped around my waist as she leaned into my chest. And instead of feeling fear over my words she merely felt at peace as she said, "Eric, I _do_ respect you. If I didn't then I wouldn't be here and I trust you'll keep me safe, but respect is a two-way street. I've seen enough myself to know what Sam said was true and I know Rome wasn't built in a day, but it's gotta start somewhere. If they all respect you as much as you say, then you showing me respect would go a long way in their eyes. And if I hear something I don't like, I promise to try and keep my temper and my mouth in check, as long as _you_ treat _me_ like I'm more than just your meal."

She appeared completely unconcerned with any danger she faced by revealing herself to those who would hunt her for her ability, but rather than being surprised at her nonchalance, I was abhorred over her words. My own body tensed just as suddenly as hers had and I pulled away to stare down at her asking incredulously, "When have I _ever_…" but the words died in my throat realizing indeed, I had.

_On the night she'd rescued me._

She immediately and unknowingly tried to mitigate my guilt by saying, "I'm not saying you do, but that's how _they'll_ view me if you don't show them with your actions that I have worth. And I'm not talking about my telepathy."

And – again – she was right. Of course I didn't believe all humans had any measure of significance – certainly none of them were as worthy as I found _her_ to be – but if I treated her as my pet, that was how she would be viewed by the others and she would be treated accordingly.

But Sookie Stackhouse was no one's_ pet_.

However she _would be_ mine.

My fingers – regrown at an amazing rate thanks to her selfless generosity – trailed down her neck to her shoulder and eventually laced into her own so that I could bring her hand to my lips. Leaving a single kiss across the back of her hand, I looked down at her and conceded, "You _do_ have worth – more than your gift; more than your blood; more than your beauty – so if there ever comes a time on this night or any other that you feel I have lost sight of that, by all means lover, remind me in any way you see fit."

Her responding smile was answer enough, so I tugged on her hand and kept it in my own as we made our way to Compton's. I could smell the Weres before I could see them through the crowd of vampires awaiting my arrival, but once we reached our destination I ignored the surprised stares darting between Sookie and me and wasted no time in informing them all of what we knew thus far. While the eyes of the two-natured widened with every detail I relayed, vampires in general normally didn't tend to show any emotion, so the audible sound of fangs snapping down all around us as I told them of the experiments at the prison made Sookie startle at my side. Her hand, which had let go of mine when we'd first entered the group, had been down at her side until then. But feeling the anger swelling in the crowd now had her reaching out to grasp my own, causing even a seasoned warrior like Thalia to give away her surprise when I allowed it. I went one step farther and kept a hold of it, pulling her body closer to mine, so there'd be no mistake as to just how much I valued the human at my side. It was certainly a first and bearing in mind what they were witnessing of our display was akin to them seeing a mermaid trot by sidesaddle on her pet unicorn, it didn't matter any to me because I'd already decided to adopt Sookie's approach to life.

I just didn't give a damn.

Once the groundwork had been laid, Flood cleared his throat and at my acknowledgment he stated, "I know some guys through the military who might have some inside information. They're human though, so I don't know how much I can get them to open up, but I do know that base is locked up tighter than Fort Knox." He had no idea yet of how Sookie would be invaluable in that situation, so he continued on with, "There are ground sensors buried every few feet spread throughout to detect footsteps. Motion activated cameras trained on the sky to detect anything trying to come in by air. Anything bigger than prairie dog or a sparrow is going to get their attention, so getting in without them knowing will be hell."

_Fucking hell…_

I hardly had the time to register Sookie's surprise when I heard another throat clearing and a path cleared in the group of Weres as none other than Sookie's shifter stepped forward. I could feel her gratitude flooding through her just as quickly when he opened his mouth and said, "I can get in. I can shift into a housefly and get all the way into where the vampires are being kept if I ride on the right coattails."

Her hand let go of mine as she immediately walked over and pulled the mongrel into her embrace. My scorn at the sight was only tempered because I knew her feelings for him were purely of friendship and nothing more, so I kept my derision to myself and remained a silent spectator amongst the crowd. But Sookie's movements had drawn even more attention to her presence and Clancy, a vampire with a nasty disposition on his best day, asked what I was sure they were all thinking, "Who is the human? Why is she here?" He took an aggressive step towards her, adding, "Is she a snack?"

I barely noticed the shifter forcing Sookie behind his body to shield her, but I _did_ notice the feral snarl that ripped its way out of my lips. Moving too fast for any but vampire eyes to follow, I had Clancy's throat in my outstretched hand before Sookie's body even had a chance to come to a standstill. Staring up at him, my words were for everyone gathered there as I stated unequivocally, "She is _mine_." I waited until I saw a begrudging acceptance in his eyes and then tossed him away from Sookie before silently holding my hand out towards her. I could feel her determination peek through the surprise and fear she felt over Clancy's actions as she walked towards me and as soon as she took hold of my hand and was standing at my side, I said, "This is Sookie Stackhouse. Not only is she mine, she has my protection. All of you who owe me fealty will protect her with your lives."

Perhaps feeling bolstered by the distance separating us – or perhaps just due to his own stupidity – Clancy spoke up again, snarling, "_A human?_ You expect us to protect _a human_ with our own lives?"

"_My human_," I corrected, but knowing what they were likely thinking, I added, "She will be assisting us in freeing our own. She is more valuable to our cause than any one of you. You will treat her with the same respect you show me or you will pay for your insubordination with your own life." Knowing they wouldn't understand the true scope of just how integral she was to our plans without further explanation, I turned to look down at her and asked with no more than a raised eyebrow if she was still willing to reveal her secret. There would be no going back once the words left my lips. She would forever be known as a telepath to the supernatural community.

Until the last breath left her body.

_I ignored the gnawing in my chest over that scenario._

She seemed to understand what I was silently asking because her eyes left mine to briefly travel over those gathered around us. When she was done sifting through the Weres, she stayed locked on Clancy's unimpressed face for a moment longer than the rest before moving to stare at the shifter. He appeared both worried and resigned, knowing what her revelation would mean, and I forced myself to not react when he smiled softly at her with affection in his eyes.

_But I may have made plans to procure a fly swatter for when our rescue attempt was over._

_Fucking shifter._

Finally Sookie looked up at me and searched my eyes – for what, I had no clue – before taking a deep breath and smiling softly at me, with trust and affection filling our tie and her own eyes as she nodded her reply to my unspoken question.

Again, twin urges pulsed through me. Pride for her courage and worry over her wellbeing. I was proud to have found such a brave warrior to stand alongside me in what was to come and equally agonized over her safety. I wanted to simultaneously thrust a sword into her hand and longed to hide her away from prying eyes. But I also knew Sookie wouldn't tolerate being kept hidden. She wouldn't tolerate being treated any less than what she was.

An equal.

Inarguably, _my_ equal.

_I was honored to have her standing at my side._

Forcing my eyes to leave hers, I stared back at the crowd still waiting to hear what made the _human_ woman at my side more valuable than any of them. Why she was necessary – more than just for the feelings she managed to conjure within me, but why she was conceivably crucial to our very survival.

The moment brought to mind John Donne's Meditation XVII in his works from 1624 titled _Devotions upon Emergent Occasions:_

_"No man is an Island, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee."_

Mankind might be able to go on without us, but just as Sookie had said of her own kind, we too would go to extraordinary lengths when we're backed into a corner. A war between us could very well be the downfall of us all. We needed to come together – vampires, Weres, and yes, _humans_ – if we wanted survive.

So here it would have to start.

With me ringing the bell that couldn't be un-rung.

"Sookie is a telepath."

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Let me start off by apologizing for taking forever to update this story. I'll keep my lame excuses to myself and just say I'm back in the groove with this one now. Also, since it's been over five months, I figured it was a hundred and fifty days too late and a dollar short to do review replies now. But they'll return with the next chapter and please know I'm grateful to you all.**

**A recap: Eric and Sookie met on the side of the road when he rescued her from Malcolm, Diane, and Liam. The Area 9 vampires attacked the FOTS church in Dallas, sparking a public backlash with the human population. Eric and Pam were kidnapped from Fangtasia, with Rene torturing Eric for a week before Sookie rescued him. Pam was taken by Gabe and has been left at a secret facility in Nevada's Area 51, which Eric and Sookie found out when they did some kidnapping/torturing/killing of their own. Namely Gabe and Rene. The US government is doing secret experiments on the captured vampires in the hopes of replicating some of their powers – healing, glamour, etc. When we last left off, Sookie had gone to listen and **_**'listen'**_** to a speech given by Steve Newlin, before going with Eric to meet up with the remaining Area 5 vampires and the Long Tooth Pack at Compton's burned down house where he explained everything they knew so far. The chapter ended with Eric outing Sookie's telepathy.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. But the plot twists are, so I hope to see my name inserted somewhere in True Blood Season 6. Feel free to write it with a Sharpie on Skarsy's body. Or better yet, let me do it and pick which body part. :)**

Chapter Fifteen

**SPOV**

Silence.

Vampires could be _really_ still when they wanted to be and even though the Weres weren't saying anything either, I could at least still hear the scattered thoughts of their disbelief. I could only assume it was having a second dose of Eric's blood earlier that evening that made it easier for me to hear them and from what I heard, not everyone was happy learning about my curse.

_If I thought any of them were in a joking mood, I would tell them to get in line. It formed to the left._

The scary looking little female vampire Eric had saved from the night before was the first one to say anything, with her slowly hissing out in a menacingly low voice, "She can hear our thoughts?"

I had a feeling she wouldn't have appreciated mine if she'd known I'd once pictured her in a pear tree.

I hadn't said a word up until then. And while my panties had become twisted, hearing Eric more or less say I had to appear like a 'good little girl' in front of everyone, I could now see his point. They didn't view me as an equal and I doubted I could win them over as quickly as I had Eric. They didn't even view me as a typical fangbanger because – with my curse they now knew about – they saw me as something much worse.

A liability.

To themselves.

From the tension in the air, I'd been able to tell right away it had been best to defer to Eric while in the company of so many supernaturals. But hearing the threat in her voice, I couldn't stop myself from answering quickly with a vehement, "No!" Seeing the unhappy glares aimed my way, my nerves got the better of me and I rambled out, "I…vampires are silent to me. I can't hear you. I can only sense that you're there…like…like a bubble in the space where you are, but not your thoughts."

The vampires in the crowd seemed appeased by my explanation, but I wasn't out of the woods quite yet when the man I assumed was the Colonel asked, "And us?"

_Careful Chere…_

Sam's inner voice broke through all of the other red snarly thoughts swirling into my head. And considering the still tense atmosphere, I might have been inclined to heed his warning and lie, had I not been able to hear the Colonel's think, _'If she can, it could come in handy when we go to Nevada. I suspect there are at least a few Were guards at the prison, but I can't know for sure we can trust them.'_

Some of the other Weres had similar thoughts, while others had the opposite viewpoint. But I trusted Eric to keep me safe and since the Colonel was their leader I could only hope they would follow his lead. So I replied semi-truthfully, "Some. Your thoughts are hazy and I can't hear them as clearly as I can hear humans, but I can hear _some_ things."

And even more if I was touching them, but seeing the feral look on the face of one of the female Weres and hearing her displeasure over my answer, I kept that little tidbit to myself.

As soon as I'd finished speaking, I saw Alcide flinch as he replayed in his own mind his initial thoughts about me from the night before. But I could feel his sincerity when he directed his thoughts right at me and said, _'Sorry Sookie_._'_

I hadn't been expecting an apology, but I appreciated it just the same and smiled back at him. However my pleasure was short lived when the same livid female Were, who seemed hell bent on making her displeasure known, snarled out, "_Some_ is _too much!_ How do we know she can be trusted and isn't going behind our backs, reporting everything she hears to the Fellowship? She's a _human_ and it's the _humans_ we're up against!"

It was so odd.

Seeing someone who looked just like me declare so vehemently I wasn't just like them. Genetics aside, all of us – humans, vampires, and Weres – were in part made of the same cloth. I saw it no differently than people hating other people based on the color of their skin, their ethnicity, or religious beliefs. It was something I'd never been able to understand.

Why should one be any better than the other? Why couldn't we all just accept everyone had their differences, but for the most part we were all the same?

It truly didn't make any sense to me. And perhaps picking up on my unease – or feeling a healthy dose of it himself – Eric gently squeezed my hand before barking out, "Enough. Sookie's loyalty to our cause will not be questioned. We are only aware of the collusion between The Fellowship and the government because she discovered it with her gift and we are fortunate she has agreed to help us get back our own. Not only is she an invaluable asset, she is mine. Know now, any who threaten _her_ – threaten _me_."

I couldn't be sure what had everyone looking so amazed. The fact Eric stood up for me or the fact he made it sound like we were going steady. Admittedly, I didn't know much about the supernatural world and yet I had a feeling either one might do the trick, but I didn't really care. The fact was Eric and me were definitely _something_ to one another. I just couldn't put a label on it. And considering how full our plates already were, I wasn't going to be bothered trying to figure it out. We had more important things to worry about than whether or not Eric planned on wining and dining me.

But then I guessed in this case, he would be wining and dining on _me_.

Also something I didn't need to think about right now.

And since my mind was chock full of not only my own thoughts I was trying not to think about, and everyone else's in the group who had a heartbeat, I was lucky to have picked out the new ones rapidly closing in.

Eric's head snapped towards me, likely feeling my surprise which was quickly followed by fear, just as I gasped out, "The Fellowship. Newlin's soldiers are coming in through the woods. From there and there," I pointed towards the surrounding tree line. I closed my eyes and counted them all, adding, "There are twelve of them. They're coming to search for Gabe and Rene since they know this was a vampire's house."

I could feel their arrogance like it was my own. They weren't fearful in the least to be searching a vampire's property at night, having no doubts they would come out the victor. They thought they were infallible, fully believing every sanctimonious sermon spouted to them by Newlin. God was testing them by putting vampires on this earth. They had to prove their faith in Him by acting as his soldiers. By doing so, God would protect them.

And I knew they were about to be shown just how wrong they were.

The sound of fangs snapping down was drowned out by the still-had-a-heartbeat half of the crowd. After seeing for myself Dean turn back into Sam, I probably shouldn't have been shocked when the Weres surrounding us began to shift, but I was.

It would be hard not to feel shocked when you suddenly found yourself surrounded by a pack of wolves.

_My name_ wasn't Bella.

But knowing another bloodbath was the last thing we needed, I tried to be the voice of reason by shouting, "Wait!"

I didn't know if the Weres would understand me when they were in their furry form, but Eric did and he threw up his hand, snarling out to the crowd, "Halt!"

When he looked back at me, I explained, "If you kill them all, then the Fellowship will _know_ there's still a group of vampires in the area. I caught from Newlin they believe there are only a few – if any – left in this half of the state. We'll just be drawing attention to ourselves and hurting our cause if another massacre happens here tonight. Can't you just – I don't know – _glamour_ them into believing they didn't find anything and send them on their way?"

"You think we should let them go free so they can capture _more_ of _our kind_?" the male vamp who asked if I was a Sookie snack cake snarled.

"No!" I snapped back. "But sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and if you guys leave a mess behind like the one in Dallas, you're only going to further alienate yourself from the rest of the human population that's still undecided."

My eyes snapped back to Eric, hoping he would back me up. I could tell he was furious, but I didn't know if it was from my inability to keep my mouth shut or if it was the threat of the incoming Fellowship soldiers.

Probably a mixture of both.

His eyes narrowed back at me right before he turned to the crowd and said, "Yes. Sometimes we have to consider the bigger picture." Just like I'd warned him not to do, I was already counting my chickens, thinking he was agreeing with me until he added, "And while our fight _is_ with the Fellowship and their co-conspirators, the battle will need to be waged in Nevada. Let them believe we have amassed our own army to defend our territory. While they search for us here, we will bring the war to their front door."

His reasoning kind of made sense, but at the same time I didn't agree. I thought it would do more harm than good if another pile of bodies were displayed on the evening news. But before I could say anything more, he turned away from me and locked his eyes onto the frenzied crowd, saying, "Those who come for us now are not innocents. Kill them all."

Right. Not a democracy.

No one had to be told twice and my hair blew up around my face when the crowd suddenly dispersed. I wasn't sure what I should be doing at the moment and considering my feet were frozen to the ground, I couldn't really do much more than stand there. Not only didn't I agree with their decision – albeit more for strategic purposes than humane ones – I didn't have a weapon. My baseball bat was still tucked away in the back of my car. And the truth was, I didn't know if I would have it in me to kill another being – human or otherwise – if it wasn't in defense of my own life or someone else's.

Like the others had said earlier, I wasn't like them. And it was never more apparent than right now.

I didn't think any less of them for what they were doing though. In my opinion, the Fellowship soldiers were getting what they had coming to them. I just hoped it wouldn't backfire on us because if they kept leaving a bunch of drained bodies lying around, I didn't think it would be long before the government would take a more active role in stopping them. I could already picture the National Guard setting up checkpoints and turning even a town as small as Bon Temps into a police state.

For now they were still operating behind the scenes and letting the Fellowship put their necks on the line. But if enough citizens were up in arms over the perceived threat vampires were posing to perceived everyday human beings, then they would have all the support they needed to publically take over the cause. And the Fellowship, while organized, was no match for the US military.

I was afraid of finding out the hard way the vampires weren't either.

Since my knees were still locked, I had nothing better to do than to close my eyes and count the human minds as they flickered out one by one. I felt their surprise. Their shock. Their pain. Their horror. All of it flooded into me. And I took all of it into me in return. I dropped my shields completely and did nothing to block their thoughts from my mind. I withstood it when my knees threatened to buckle and allowed it to seep into my very veins. As horrible of a Christian as it may have made me, I needed it. I used it to try and toughen up my own skin – my own heart – knowing what awaited us in Nevada would be a thousand times worse. While I might not have agreed with Eric's decision, I'd already known we were facing a horrific future. I couldn't let myself become mired down by my own feelings of distress over what was happening now.

I needed to see the bigger picture.

But who knew the bigger picture could be drawn in the same amount of time it took my bread to toast?

Four minutes.

Four minutes was all it took to end twelve lives and even then I was sure it was only because a few of their attackers chose to draw it out a little for their own pleasure. The deaths of the men Eric had killed the night before hadn't affected me as much as these did, but I suspected a lot of it had to do with what I had seen in their minds. The men from the night before had all been leaders. Each and every one of them had been responsible for the kidnapping, torture and/or death of more than one vampire. But the ones who had just been ended weren't leaders.

They were followers.

So I tried to tell myself they should've chosen who they'd hitched their wagons to more wisely and not let my feelings of hypocrisy take root.

It helped hearing the hatred in their thoughts before they were ended, but it still wasn't easy for me. And I hoped it would _never_ be easy for me. While I could understand – in part – the bigger picture, I didn't want to completely lose myself to it. I had my own beliefs, morals, and ideals. And while I would do whatever I had to do to help free all those who had been unlawfully imprisoned, I didn't want to lose me in the process.

"Why didn't you go with them?" I asked, slightly louder than a whisper. My eyes were still closed, but I knew Eric hadn't left my side, so I didn't feel the need to raise my voice any. He could probably hear me whisper to him from clear across the field anyways.

"I will not leave you defenseless."

Huh. In his own way I guessed Eric didn't want to lose me either.

Chancing a peek at him, I saw he looked like he needed a little levity just as much as I did, so I asked, "Would it be bad form to say all of them running off the way they did was overkill?"

The five to one ratio of supes to humans made it seem like they were the early morning shoppers and the Fellowship soldiers were the flat screen TV's on Black Friday.

And I may have snorted picturing Eric in a blue Walmart smock.

His hardened exterior cracked just a smidge, with his eyes softening and the sides of his lips quirking upwards, but it didn't last for long. Instead the serious expression returned to his face and he moved to stand in front of me, locking his eyes onto mine and saying, "You are distressed."

That right there was a 'Duh!' moment if I ever saw one.

But since he wasn't Jason, I didn't think it was necessary to point it out. Nor did I feel it was necessary to go into the reasons why because it wouldn't change anything. I'd already hitched my wagon to Eric's, so I only shrugged and changed the subject by asking, "Now what?"

My mind was already imagining the vampire-hate ratcheting up a ton, with news crews descending on our little town when they found the carnage. Maxine would have a field day, but before I could get too worked up about it and before Eric could reply, one by one the others started returning to our little group. I kept my eyes either on Eric or on the ground, not wanting to see the naked Weres now that they'd shifted back into their human forms. And I wanted to punch Alcide when he chuckled and thought, "Get used to it Sookie, but if it'll make you feel any better, you could always strip down too."

Eric would have a field day with that.

I'd even hazard a guess and say he'd be burying Alcide in the field right now if he could've heard him.

But I kept that to myself too and was doing my impression of the see no/speak no/hear-every-damn evil monkeys when Eric turned to the Colonel and said, "We should leave for Nevada before they're discovered. This area won't be safe for any of us to remain once they're found."

He nodded and added, "We should travel together in a convoy. It might draw more attention, but there's safety in numbers. I know where we can get a few vans that'll hold at least two coffins each and then rest of us can flank them in our own trucks. If we run into any problems, we'll have a better chance of getting everyone out of there than if we stuck all of you guys in one tractor trailer."

I hadn't given any thought on how the vampires would travel while the sun was up, so it only reinforced the fact I didn't know what in the hell I was doing. While I might not have wanted to change who I was at my core, I also didn't want to be the weak link in the chain that could end up getting one of our own hurt. I needed to start thinking like they did. Strategically.

That picture was turning out to be way bigger than I had initially thought.

Eric looked undecided when his eyes flicked at me, so I took that as my cue and began actively listening to the Weres. Both the Colonel and Alcide seemed on board – excited even – and I didn't hear anything from them that even hinted at double crossing the vamps. In fact, each of them were thinking in terms of logistics. Who would ride with who. Who their best fighters were and who were their best marksmen. Both of them already viewed Eric as the leader of our little band of merry marauders, so they were already planning on making him their number one priority if something went down and we were attacked. Even the nasty female Were from earlier, who had less than kind thoughts about me and the vampires, was now only thinking her pack leader knew best and she would follow him no matter where he led her to.

It eased my mind, which relaxed my shoulders, and I knew Eric would feel my assent without me saying a word. He proved me right by nodding imperceptibly and turned to the vampires in the crowd, saying, "All of you return to your resting places and gather what you need." He gave them an address to a warehouse he owned in Shreveport where all of us would meet up as soon as we had what we needed. We would be able to get everything loaded together while remaining out of sight and whatever cars that would be staying behind could be left hidden away inside after we were gone.

Before Bubba could take off with them, Eric called him back and said, "You will remain here and watch over Mrs. Stackhouse. Stay hidden and do not let any harm come to her. Do you understand?"

"Sure thing Mr. Eric," he grinned.

When he turned to leave, Eric grabbed onto his arm and stared back at him, adding, "And I'll remind you, their cat is not a snack."

Well, there went his grin.

Who knew Elvis was a world class pouter?

He nodded and took off towards the farmhouse as the rest of the group was breaking up. Sam walked over to me and I could tell from his thoughts that he didn't want me involved, but knew better than to say it out loud. Instead he only offered, "I guess I'll see you in a little bit, Chere."

"No, you won't."

Eric's voice intruded on our two-man huddle and I looked over at him suspiciously, wondering if he was going to start making asinine remarks about Sam wanting me romantically. I'd caught snippets from Sam before that could lead me to believe that might be true, but he'd never acted on them. That right there told me all I needed to know and while I could appreciate the way his muscles flexed whenever he lifted a case of beer from time to time, I'd always known deep down that's all it was.

Appreciation.

Sam was more like a brother to me and I was just glad he was more dependable than the actual brother God had gifted me with.

Talk about asinine.

Eric walked over to us and treated me to his arched eyebrow and smirk – telling me he knew I was waiting for him to make an ass out himself – but instead he looked at Sam and calmly explained, "You would do better by remaining here for a few days. You can explain away Sookie's disappearance to whoever asks. The two of you taking off at the same time will only draw attention to you both and by staying for a few more days, you'll be able hear what's being said about the bodies that have yet to be found. It'll take us several days to scout out a location and set up camp somewhere close to Groom Lake. I will send word when we need you to come and shift into a _bug_."

And his condescending tone _bugged me_.

Ass.

His grin got wider when he felt my irritation, but he ignored it and stared down at Sam, ordering, "Give me your cell phone."

Sam's own irritation shone through, but he still did as he was told. And when Eric was done programming – I assumed – his phone number into it, he pressed another button and began speaking into the receiver.

"Arlene baby? It's me. I'm sorry I haven't called, but me and Gabe are onto something. Something _big_. I can't talk about it, but I'll try and call you again soon. I just don't want you to worrying about me. I…I gotta go. I'll talk to ya soon. Love ya."

Chills shot down my spine and I don't think I'd ever been creeped out more in my life.

Eric had sounded _exactly_ like Rene.

"How…how did you do that?" I asked.

I knew he could fly, but was his other gift of the Rich Little variety?

"You'd be surprised what you deign yourself to learn when faced with centuries of boredom," he smirked. "I know his voice well after having spent so much _quality time_ in his presence."

Ick.

My face scrunched up, knowing exactly how that time had been spent, as well as over the fact Eric could sound like him at all. But remembering exactly how I'd found him – thanks to Rene – I was almost proud of him for being able to gain something useful out of the experience.

Glass half full and all of that.

Eric gave the phone back to Sam and said, "When the woman Arlene is at work, you will call her home and play this recording into her answering machine. Do it during the daytime so no one will think he was glamoured into making the call. It will throw Newlin off of our scent."

"But what about the bodies here?" I asked. "It'll be like Dallas all over again."

The mental images from Sam's thoughts were already starting to filter into my head just as Eric shook his own and said, "They will be found in a much different state. The authorities might suspect vampire involvement, but the fact will remain it will appear as though the men were attacked by wolves."

Again…ick.

I'd only been focused on the thoughts of the humans and to be honest, I didn't get much of anything from the Weres when they were in their animal form. I got absolutely nothing from vampires, so I'd had no idea they'd made their deaths look like an animal attack. But it made a lot of sense and it negated my entire argument for glamouring them and setting them free.

And recalling a few local news stories over the years, it made me wonder how many other deaths had been covered up in the same way. Were there were-alligators?

If so, I wouldn't mind if my Uncle Bartlett met up with one.

However there were other more important issues to be dealt with, so I pushed that thought away too and pushed my legs to carry me towards the farmhouse. Since Eric had mentioned setting up camp, my head was already sorting out where the tent and sleeping bags were located in the attic in case he'd meant that literally. Considering the sparse desert terrain surrounding Groom Lake, I thought it was a real possibility, so I wasn't paying any attention to anything else when I suddenly found myself swept up in Eric's arms.

I gasped in surprise, which was all the invitation he needed to sweep his tongue into my mouth, and after everything that had already happened that night, I figured I was due for a break.

What better way to spend it than kissing Eric?

I had a feeling our alone time would be severely hindered in the coming days, so I decided to enjoy what little bit of time we had together now.

Was it selfish of me?

Absolutely.

Did I care?

Not one bit.

I couldn't deny all of the things I felt for him, so I saw no reason to deny either one of us the comfort we brought one another. And once again, I hadn't been paying any attention – hopefully that wouldn't get one of us killed one day – so I was surprised to find myself on the front porch when Eric eventually set me down and pulled back from our kiss. He looked like it physically pained him to say, "We must leave soon, so pack quickly."

It pained me in more than one way to find out my break was over.

He was back to smirking at me again when the lust finally cleared from my eyes, so I playfully smacked his chest and went inside. While Eric stayed downstairs to explain to Gran we were leaving and that Bubba would be staying behind with her, I went upstairs to my room. I grabbed mostly clothes that would be comfortable and threw all of my toiletries into a bag with them, but remembering Newlin's invitation to his Sunday sermon (and dinner) in Dallas, I grabbed a nicer dress just in case. I knew Eric would argue with me over going and I had no idea of how I would work out getting there from Nevada, but I still thought it was an opportunity we couldn't afford to miss.

I would just have to plead my case and then see if he could plead a better one.

When everything – including the tent, sleeping bags, and what was left of the TruBlood – had been loaded into my car, I returned to the living room and hugged the stuffing out of Gran, saying, "I'll call you when I can. I love you Gran."

I dipped into her head to see what she was thinking and while she was worried sick about us, all she said, "I'm so proud of you, baby girl. I love you too."

I was proud too, to have been raised by a woman like her. Gran didn't talk about it often – not wanting to toot her own horn – but I'd known she'd attended rallies in the 1960's in support of civil rights. And I'd known from both her thoughts and actions over the years, she didn't tolerate hate in any form, be it over race, gender or sexual orientation. Her heart always ached especially hard for Lafayette, who was doubly scorned by the small minded residents of Bon Temps, and she always made it a point to be extra kind to him.

When she finally released me, she surprised Eric by hugging him too and saying, "You keep my baby safe."

"I will," he agreed. "I give you my word."

"You know, in order to keep your promise, you'll have to stay safe too," she warned. Pulling back to look up at him, she gave him her serious face and ordered, "So don't go making yourself out to be a liar by getting yourself hurt. I don't care how old you are. I'll make you pick your switch when you get back."

He chuckled at her very real threat and while I was committed to helping Eric, I had to force my feet to follow him out the door. I was worried about leaving Gran all alone and even though I knew she was perfectly capable of seeing after herself – and Jason would at least show up whenever his stomach rumbled – I still felt responsible for her.

So I told myself I wasn't leaving forever. I was just leaving for now.

Eric seemed to know I needed space to wrap my head around it all, so he didn't try to speak to me as he drove us to Shreveport. His foot was so heavy and I was so lost in thought, I didn't notice we had arrived until we were pulling into the warehouse. A lot of the others had already gotten there before us and Alcide appeared to be in charge of running the logistics end when I heard him barking out orders to everyone else. But before I could even get out of the car, Eric pulled my chin so that I'd look at him when he said, "Your grandmother will be safe, as will you. You _will_ return."

His expression was so soft – a complete contradiction to his sheriff face – and I knew enough by now to know that not everyone got to see that side of him. I knew he was grateful I'd rescued him and I knew he'd said my blood was his preferred flavor. But I also suspected none of that had anything to do with the way he treated me. How he saw me.

I still didn't know what to call it, but whatever Eric and I were to one another, it wasn't a passing thing.

"I trust you," I offered softly.

And I meant it in every definition of the word.

He smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead and saying, "And I you."

It was yet one more thing I doubted many had gotten to see from Eric.

He helped me get my things from the car and then left me there while he literally flew home to get everything else he wanted to bring. He returned a short while later, driving a black SUV worthy of any Secret Service agent. Inside was a travel coffin, which every vampire had brought with them, only Eric's had added bling.

If several huge swords tucked away inside could be considered 'bling'.

I wasn't sure how effective they would be, considering what we were up against, but I kept my thoughts about 'bringing a knife to a gun fight' to myself. And I'd been rooting through the minds of the Weres the entire time I'd been there, so I knew they were armed to the teeth.

And snickered to myself over the irony.

When everything and everyone was sorted, we had twelve vans to transport thirty vampires, so nearly half of the vans would be carrying three coffins. Two Weres would be riding in each one and each van would have its own pickup truck that would run interference – if necessary – while transporting the other supplies we were taking with us. Flood thought it best that Eric be transported alone and he agreed, so he would be taken in the SUV he'd brought with him, with me riding shotgun and Flood driving, while Alcide drove his pickup behind us.

I had no way of knowing if the Colonel had said something to his pack while we'd been separated, but no one seemed wary of my presence anymore. They talked to and treated me like I was one of them and none of their thoughts led me to believe they had any reservations about being near me. Since we had nearly a twenty-four hour drive ahead of us and with daybreak less than an hour away, the vampires climbed into their coffins a little early so we could get on the road. I was equal parts terrified and excited to finally be on our way, but as we pulled onto the westbound interstate – our small army on its way to confront another much larger one – what I ended up feeling the most was completely unexpected.

And I felt myself smile as I turned to look out the window because for the first time in my life, I actually felt like I was where I belonged.

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Happy Season Six True Blood Day! Since it seems they'll be following – in part – some of this storyline this season, I thought I should update at least once more before they get started, in the hopes every time I strip an article of clothing off of Eric, they'll do the same with Alex on the show. A girl can hope.**

**In other news, for anyone interested, I post teasers for my stories still in progress over on my WordPress page. 'Stay' has the each chapter title's song now added to them as well and there's a WordPress only story posted there called 'Secrets That We Keep'. It's still a WIP, but there are thirty-three chapters posted so far. And if you've read All In and are interested in a 'what if' version of events on what could've happened if Sookie's and Eric's roles had been reversed in Chapter 63, I have a fanfic of my fanfic over there too called, 'All In – The Flip Side'. There's only one chapter up so far, but it's there if you're interested. The link to my WordPress page is on my FFN profile page.**

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. **

Chapter Sixteen

**EPOV**

"Can you sense anyone nearby?" I asked as quietly as possible, but loud enough for her to hear.

I sensed no others, but I wanted to remain vigilant. And it seemed there was in fact no one around when Sookie shook her head in the negative, so we both let out our varying degrees of frustration in the form of a sigh.

Our group had arrived at our destination just before sunrise that morning. Thankfully, the Weres drove faster than I suspected Sookie ever could and our group was already more than halfway to our destination by nightfall, with the vampires taking over driving duty so they could rest.

If the word _rest_ could be defined as fidgeting nervously and attempting to sleep with one eye open, unable to relax completely in the presence of their undead chauffeurs.

Asinine. Understandable, but asinine.

Truthfully I was relieved to have their support. We would need it in the upcoming days and nights and I would take the head of any vampire who unnecessarily hurt any one of them.

Perhaps Clancy would do well to be the first telepathic vampire in existence if he wanted to keep his.

And speaking of telepaths, Sookie had continued to surprise me. While I'd felt her worry, it was overshadowed by her determination and excitement. I might have attributed her exhilaration to her finally getting out of her – likely literal – one horse town, but considering we weren't exactly going to Disney World, I knew there was more to it than that. And taking into consideration all she'd done to free me from my own captivity as well, I shouldn't have been as dumbfounded by her emotions as hers continued to make me feel. She had apparently slept on and off for most of the day, so she was wide awake for most of the night. But it was feeling her sense of relief as we crossed over the Nevada border that assured me taking her with us hadn't been a mistake.

Hopefully I would get to have my own sense of relief, having her safe and unharmed at my side, when we crossed that same border on the way home. Despite the unknown origins of her gift and her unnaturally sweet blood, Sookie was still – _mostly_ – human. She was fragile. Breakable. I worried more than I should over her safety, but bearing in mind where I now knew my child to be, and all that she could be subjected to, I had to cast those worries aside. I had to convince myself our cause was greater than any one life and hope ours would remain intact when all was said and done. I couldn't give in to my desires to hide her away.

We needed her.

Our second blood exchange only amplified my own need for her.

So I cast those feeling aside as well. I couldn't afford to become mired down in emotions I had no reference for. Feelings I had no experience with. Strategizing. Revenge. Fighting. War. Those were things I could wrap my head around.

The feelings of warmth – both internal and external – when she'd wrapped her hand around my own as we drove on into the night, I could not understand.

So I told myself I was merely studying the effects of handholding when I'd done nothing to stop her.

And ignored the fact, lying to myself was quickly becoming a habit.

When we'd changed drivers at nightfall, Flood opted to ride with the larger group of Weres in another vehicle so they could make plans for when we arrived at daybreak, allowing Sookie and I to travel alone. She filled me in on all that she'd heard with her gift from the others' minds during the day, thereby proving her invaluable worth all the more by easing my mind we weren't going to be double crossed by them. Knowing I could trust them made my work that much easier now that I didn't have to make detailed contingency plans in case we couldn't rely on them.

The Weres were organized enough to have brought food rations along, but TruBlood was quickly becoming a rare artifact in Louisiana, so the vampires in the group would have to do without for the time being. The youngest of them were just over two hundred, so it wasn't an issue at the moment and there were several small towns outside of Groom Lake where they could hunt in the following nights.

And it wasn't like I was going to share Sookie. Ever.

I told myself it was because she wouldn't want to offer her blood to strange vampires. I told myself it was because she couldn't be glamoured into doing it even if I had wanted her to. I told myself it was because she needed to maintain her strength and our position was too precarious to weaken her.

The truth was I would slaughter any of them if they even salivated in her direction.

At this point truths and lies could be classified as kissing cousins.

And at this point our frustrations not only stemmed from the tactical advantage our opponents held, but with each other. Sookie was adamant she should go to Dallas at Newlin's invitation.

I was adamant she could only go if winged monkeys flew out of my asshole to bring her there.

She had seen me weakened by torture and blood loss. She had seen me weakened by my undeniable desire for her. She had seen me in ways no other living creature on earth had ever seen me, but now she was facing an entirely new side of me. One many were familiar with.

The hard-assed son of a bitch who would sooner feed Newlin my own balls as an appetizer than to allow her to be alone in his presence.

It wasn't even my own sense of proprietorship over her. Mostly. It just wasn't necessary. He wanted to fuck her, not make her his second in command. While she could gain some new insight from his thoughts, Newlin was the government's lackey. Their fall guy. The Fellowship's course was already set.

Capture unsuspecting vampires and turn them over.

We didn't have the time to follow his cell groups across the country in the hopes to stop them. We didn't have the numbers to try and facilitate numerous rescue operations at different locations. Our only hope was freeing the mass held at the main facility in Area 51 and then forming our own offensive line with the added bodies. Newlin's thoughts would give us nothing advantageous in that area. Even by the rapist's own memories, Newlin himself needed permission to enter their facility. They were searched and escorted by armed guards at all times. Nothing she could get from his head would give us a magic key into getting inside.

So fuck that.

At least she'd had the sense to wait until we were truly alone to bring it up, so our _disagreement_ was had in private. The last thing we needed was to distract the others with the strife of two stubborn personalities colliding.

We were currently two peas in a pissed off pod.

But at least I had the advantage of feeling her emotions. She understood my reasoning, which was the only reason why she had finally let it drop. She just didn't like my methods of conveying them.

Winged transit monkeys or not, apparently the whole of me was an asshole.

"Maybe we'll have better luck in the morning," she offered softly, setting aside her anger at my assholery and reminding me of Flood's earlier suggestion.

Our purpose for scouting the terrain was to see how close we could get in the hopes Sookie's gift would give us any insight. Coming up with a Plan B, Flood made a few soft inquiries about the facility to some of his military contacts, so we knew the humans met up at a designated location a few miles away. Their cars were left there, while they traveled as a group via buses to and from the facility at the start and end of every shift. Considering the kind of experiments they were performing, they wisely only traveled during the daylight hours. Flood's plan was for Alcide to feign car trouble on the side of the road near the lot, while Sookie sat in the passenger's seat, so she could try to gather intel from the minds of the workers.

It was a risk. One I was uncomfortable with her taking when the sun was out, when I would be unable to go to her if the need arose.

And now that I was so much closer to Pam, my levels of discomfort had grown by leaps and bounds. It took every one of my one thousand years of patience to not literally fly off the handle and fly to her, ripping the heads off of anyone dumb enough to put themselves' in my path.

So I appeased myself with the promise it would happen soon.

But it wouldn't be happening soon enough. We'd been wandering the perimeter for a couple of hours, straying as closely as we dared, not knowing what might give away our presence. I could hear the occasional rustle of dirt being displaced, be it from a breeze I couldn't feel or a snake that should be hunkered down now that the sun was gone from the sky. But I wouldn't be able to know for sure what the cause was without moving forward into dangerous territory where long view camera lenses or pressure sensitive buried sensors awaited an error in judgment.

My impotence was maddening.

The moon was new, so the sky was especially dark and unable to sit still any longer in the desert brush we'd concealed ourselves in, I gathered Sookie into my arms and shot straight up into the air without a word. She silently startled at first and my fangs dropped for more than one reason when she pinched my chest and hissed, "Warn a girl next time!"

With my heightened bloodlust from our fight and our reconnaissance mission, the feel of her body in my arms and the heat of her pressed against me only added to it.

So when she'd pinched my nipple, all bets were officially off. Blasphemous considering we were in Nevada.

My mouth slanted over hers and she gasped in surprise, allowing my tongue unhindered entrance to smack her harsh rebuke back down her throat. The taste of her only fueled the fire now burning through my veins and because she was perfect for me in ways I had no words to describe, her hands fisted into my hair while her legs wrapped around my waist. Her growing lust nearly outpaced my own when she growled into my mouth and attempted to beat me into submission with a tongue lashing of a different kind.

It had only been two days since I'd last kissed her. Less than forty-eight hours since I'd last held her. It hadn't been the time or the place for affection of any kind since we'd left for Shreveport. We'd arrived in Nevada just before the sun had risen and left our makeshift camp not long after I rose for the night. But now that I had her in my arms once again, I knew what the nagging sensation had been in my chest because it was gone.

I'd missed her.

It was completely idiotic, considering she'd been in my sight – if not within arms' reach – over every waking hour since then. But it was true nonetheless.

Perhaps when all was said and done I could get my own reality show on Lifetime.

Whipped – The Vampire Sheriff Pussywhipped by the Virgin Vagina.

Check your local listings.

And if I didn't know any better I may have thought Sookie could read vampire minds because she chose that moment to whip her pussy across my cock, using the grip of her legs around my waist to whittle away what was left of my sanity. It reminded me of her rebuke to her brother, admonishing him for whittling his stick in any knot he could find.

So her knot finding my stick left me looking for a tree I could brace her against, so we could whittle the night away.

My mouth had unwittingly left hers, so my eyes could look for the elusive fucking tree. Scarcer than winged monkeys who dwelled in vampire assholes, in an arid desert it would be like coming across Dorothy fucking the Wizard of Oz himself. But it was feeling her sudden jolt of fear that made some clarity reform in my mind before it had even made its way to my eyes.

"Holy shit!" she gasped and clutched at me tighter, burying her face against my neck in fright instead of passion.

Looking and finding the cause of her distress, my smirk was lost on her tightly shut eyes when I acknowledged her words with an, "Oops."

We'd risen straight up into the sky, apparently taking direction from my co-pilot Dick who was trapped in his denim cockpit, and were several thousand feet in the air by the time I'd stopped our ascent.

She shivered against me, I knew both out of fear and temperature, and unable to warm her with my nonexistent body heat, I slowly lowered us back towards the earth.

The elusive fucking tree would have to remain elusive for a while longer.

The act of fucking itself had eluded me for weeks and while I had gone without for much longer, I knew it was only adding to my frustrations. I could use the release to clear my head by clearing my cock of cum. Any other time I would have gone hunting for a full course meal. Being in Nevada, I knew I could be in Las Vegas and well into my second course in under an hour. Showgirls, bridesmaids, or the brides-to-be themselves. Any number of beautiful women were on the prowl at that very moment hoping to live up to the city's campaign of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

It was a virtual vampire buffet.

But the one lie I couldn't tell myself was that it was what I wanted.

No.

The one I wanted was strapped to my body like her last name was Velcro even though we'd been back on the ground for a full two minutes.

There were still plans to be made. Besotted shifters to call for updates on what was being said about the tangled heap of Fellowship soldiers we'd left behind. Contacts to be sought out and informed in the hopes they would join our fight. Russell, perhaps. Crowe, if he so wished. I was still hesitant to inform either de Castro or Threadgill. Their numbers would be helpful to our cause, but each was greedy enough to takeover Louisiana if they knew Bubba was the only vampire keeping the throne warm.

But all of that could wait for a few more moments, so I'd set us down about a half mile from the camp, figuring Sookie would likely need a few moments of her own to compose herself.

I certainly did.

So I merely continued to hold her and listened as her heart rate slowed to a normal pace, while her breathing evened out. And not knowing how long it would be until our next stolen moment, I leaned down, placing a tender kiss to her forehead, and softly said, "I apologize for scaring you, lover. My only excuse is when you kiss me, I can't help seeing stars."

She snickered against my neck and finally met my eyes with her own, saying, "I'll keep in mind how literal you are if you keep in mind that just because I might moon over you, it doesn't mean I want to fly over it." Tilting her head with a smile, she added, "I suppose I should refrain from telling that Clancy guy to bite me the next time he gets all huffy with me, huh?"

"Say what you will to him," I shrugged nonchalantly, while my hands gave away my fury at the mere thought by holding her more tightly. And since the cat was out of the bag, I leaned down further to press my forehead – and more of my scent – against her own, saying, "Our numbers will just be reduced by one when I rip his undead heart from his chest and offer it to you as recompense should he try."

Her eyes narrowed back at me, but the smile still played on her lips before she shook her head, chiding, "Always going straight for the kill. Literally." Her hands moved to my shoulders, digging her fingers into the muscles underneath them, as she softly chanted, "You're a teepee. You're a wigwam."

"I'm a what?" I asked with my eyes now closed, enjoying her ministrations and not understanding anything other than the feel of her hands gripping my body.

If she would move them further down to my control stick, I would be flying all over again and my feet would never have to leave the ground.

"You're two tents," she laughed softly. The heat of her lips were added to the heat of her hands when they were suddenly pressed against my own as she whispered, "Is there anything I can do to help you _relax_?"

It was so odd. To be enveloped by her warmth, since she'd made no moves to disembark my space shuttle, and yet my body froze where it stood.

No longer hiding my eyes, they snapped open to darken back at hers as I warned, "You shouldn't tease me, lover. I have been with no other since before we first met and now no one other than you will do. Remember how literal I am before you make any offers."

Instead of frightening her, she seemed excited. Heartened hearing the unintentional verification of my pussification because of her. And she was maddening enough to offer me no more words. No verification of her own, so I was forced to read between the lines that were her lips when she pressed them more firmly against my own and spoke silently.

Tongue to tongue.

When her hands began to tear away at my clothes, I allowed my jacket to fall to the ground before placing her body down on top of it and covering hers with my own. My pussification only continued to grow when I mentally lamented over the fact her first time wouldn't be in bed. We didn't have the hours I would've wanted to spend learning each and every inch of her body or every way in which I could make it sing. But it had been two nights since she'd last had my blood. I knew now that her actions weren't driven by bloodlust.

Just Sookie's lust.

It was enough.

When everything was done and our mission was accomplished, I would find the time to spend romancing her. Make her every wish and desire come true. Give her the perfect night she deserved, but for now I would give her what she was silently asking for.

Me.

She'd had me long before this night.

Her hands tugged at my shirt, so I lifted off of her enough for her to pull it over my head and smirked both seeing and feeling the lust shoot through her body at the sight of my bare chest.

If only I'd given her my blood prior to her bathing me, recalling my own insecurity over how I thought she saw me, our experience would have been much more enjoyable.

"See something you like?" I smirked.

"Uh huh," she confirmed unashamed and pulled me back down for a kiss. Her hands wandered over my bare skin, around my torso and across my back, trailing downwards until her hands gripped my ass. "But _this_ is my favorite part."

My hips thrust against her own, letting her feel the effect she had on me and enjoying the way her eyes rolled back into her head at my actions. I certainly enjoyed the cause for her eye roll now more than the reasons why she'd done it in the past.

Stubborn telepath.

Trailing my hands down her body, I gently gripped the two twin favorites of my own on hers, as I hedged, "I bet by the time we're through, you'll have changed your mind on what part of me is your favorite."

Her back arched under my hands, elongating her neck and showcasing her now throbbing carotid artery. I couldn't resist leaning down and tracing over it with my tongue, but I stayed my urge to bite.

Tonight I would be having my dinner from somewhere much lower on her body.

While my hands worked to gently rid her of her clothes, knowing she'd be aghast if I ripped them to shreds when we still had to return to the camp, I felt her nervousness flare as she stilled them with her own, with her next words stilling my entire body.

"You'll be gentle, right?" I uh…I've never…you're my first."

I'd suspected, of course. But hearing her confirm it aloud shocked me nonetheless.

And pleased me like nothing else ever had.

I felt privileged Sookie chose me to give herself to and seeing the anxiety in her eyes, I slowly leaned down, cupping her face in my hand and admitted, "You honor me, lover. In more ways than I have words to describe. But you can trust I will not hurt you. At least not any more than I can help."

The physics alone meant the initial intrusion of my body into hers would bring with it some pain, but a topical application of my vampire blood would diminish it just as quickly. Nevertheless, my words were true. Twice bonded or not. A thousand year old vampire sheriff and a telepath filled with ambrosia-like blood or not. The woman staring up into my eyes from beneath me was merely a girl named Sookie and she was choosing to give herself to a guy she only saw as Eric. She made me feel more alive than when my heart still beat in my chest and I would do whatever was necessary to keep her happy, and happily with me.

A millennium was long enough to learn what was to be treasured and what could be trashed.

Sookie Stackhouse was priceless.

And she was about to be mine in every way.

That thought alone made me impossibly harder, so I leaned down and warned her as tenderly as I could, "And if I have my way, I will be your only."

Another truth. I would kill anyone who even thought themselves my rival for her affections.

Her nervousness died down as her amusement rose up when she accurately described, "So possessive. I bet if you had a report card, it would read, 'Doesn't play well with others.'"

"On the contrary, lover. I play _very well_ with others. Perhaps you'll find the time to write your own report on it in the morning."

"You're certainly giving me lots of quotes to use," she giggled. "So far you're all talk."

I growled at her playfully and was about to make her eat her words by way of eating her pussy when another growl made its way to my ears.

"What was that?" Sookie asked as she sat up and looked towards the sound, with her eyes narrowing into the darkness.

Another scream, trailed by numerous shouts followed, and I surmised by distance and location they were coming from the camp. I suspected we were under attack, but before I could say anything, she placed her hand on my arm and said, "It's Clancy. Something's wrong with him."

I grabbed ahold of Sookie and flew us back to the group to see Clancy writhing on the ground in agony.

"What happened?" I asked no one in particular. I didn't care for him, but he was still one of ours. We needed every body possible when the time came for the inevitable fight we would be forced to wage and couldn't afford to lose any.

Unless of course, they challenged me in any way for Sookie.

We would just have to make do with the reduced numbers.

"He just got back," Flood offered, now standing at my side. "He didn't say where he was going, but I suspected he went out for a bite to eat."

While the tirade formed in my mind, preparing to rip him a new asshole for disobeying orders, I watched as his pale features slowly became ashen, taking on the gray pallor associated with silver poisoning. But I saw no wounds or indications he'd been stabbed by a silver blade, so I walked over and leaned down over him, asking, "What happened?"

"I…I…went into town," he stuttered and hissed again as he clutched his stomach. "Woman. Leaving a bar. Glamoured. Fed. Was fine until…"

Despite his obvious agony from an unknown cause, I was furious with him. Hunting so closely to the government facility was impetuous and irresponsible. We had no information on who our enemies were or what methods had been deployed in order to safeguard them. I'd already informed the vampires upon our arrival, feeding would be done in groups of two, no less than fifty miles out from our location. In the meantime they could choose to suck down one of the TruBloods Sookie had brought along. Or they could just suck it.

I didn't care.

No one in our group needed to feed daily, but it would seem Clancy at least had become spoiled by the Great Revelation. Having your meals willingly put themselves on a platter night after night made for a lazy vampire.

And it looked as though he was paying the price for his gluttony now.

His body doubled over as he yelled out in pain and all we could do was helplessly watch as his mouth opened once more in a silent scream just before his body exploded where he lay, covering me and the surrounding group in a bloody spray.

What. The. Fuck.

**Thanks for reading!**


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